of Rochester City School district students experienced homelessness during the 2018-2019 school year
3.5x
are more likely to drop out of school than their housed peer
4.5x
are more likely to experience homelessness as a young adult when lacking a diploma or GED
The Problem
National data reports in 2018 indicate that over 3% of all high school students experienced a form of homelessness or home insecurity.
There is reason to believe this number is higher because students are reluctant to identify themselves as homeless due to fear of being entered into “the system” and being uprooted from their known environment.
COVID-19 has undoubtedly exacerbated this phenomenon.
High School Graduation Rates for New York State by Homeless Status
NYS Non-Homeless86%
NYS Homeless64%
Rochester Non-Homeless64%
Rochester Homeless40%
Data provided by NYS. Homeless as a percent of the total student population is 4%. According to data provided by NYS, their homeless students drop out at 3x the rate of non-homeless.
Supporting SPIRIT NYS means homeless students can...