Homelessness on the Rise

a person sitting on the ground in a tunnel

Affluent North Texas school districts grapple with a growing problem: a rise in homeless students

North Texas school districts are seeing an increase in students experiencing homelessness — even in affluent communities like Plano.

Students experiencing homelessness — or what James Thomas from Plano ISD calls “living in transition”— are eligible for services at school under the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The federal law aims to increase these students’ access to education.

Thomas is the community services coordinator for Plano ISD. He said the district identified 1,365 students living in transition the past school year, up from 1,001 the previous year. But he suspects there are more students whose families are in need who haven’t been identified.

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