Photo Homelessness among students continues to increase across Clark County and the state, reaching record highs, according to a Seattle nonprofit. A report released Thursday by Building Changes revealed a statewide record high of 42,436 homeless students in the 2022-23 school year, with more than half being students of color. In 2022-23, Clark County saw 1,968 homeless students. That number has increased since. “Multiple factors may play into this increase, such as increased need, increased ability for districts to identify students and an expiration of pandemic-era policies meant at preventing homelessness,” the report stated. Building Changes produces an annual report based on school-level data compiled Oct. 1. The data is from Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Washington ranks sixth in the U.S. for student homeless population, according to Building Changes. In the 2018-19 school year, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction reported 2,134 Clark County students experienced homelessness. That number decreased during the pandemic but increased to 2,502 this school year. Clark County’s school districts included in the data are Vancouver, Evergreen, Battle Ground, Camas, Ridgefield, Washougal, Hockinson, La Center and Green Mountain. In the past two academic years, a majority of school districts saw student homelessness decrease, but Evergreen saw the most improvement, with numbers dropping by 171 students.

Funding is crucial in supporting the growing number of homeless students in Clark County, local housing-assistance leaders said. Programs including the Homeless Student Stability Program and Washington Youth and Families Fund have helped Clark County’s homeless students with educational stability. However, the report says that both face major cuts in the proposed state budget. “If we don’t intervene now, students experiencing homelessness may never be able to bridge the education gap,” the report states.

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