Poverty, Homelessness On The Rise For Tulsa Students

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Our economy in crisis is hitting some of our state's most vulnerable with a double threat: hunger and homelessness. The number of Tulsa families applying for free meals has jumped by thousands in just the last year.

And the number of homeless Oklahoma students has tripled.

School cafeterias across Tulsa County are dishing up more free meals and reduced rate lunches, as Green Country families continue to struggle.

"I had a family come in, and they were in a place where they were living out of their car," said Joe Mercier, Madison Middle School Principal.

Read the SDE report.

The State Department of Education reports homelessness among Oklahoma students tripled from 2005 to 2008.

"It's surprising the needs that are out there," Mercier said.

Madison Middle School Principal Joe Mercier leads one of 32 schools where all of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Last year, there were only 21.

Madison works to try to fill the gaps, offering a free uniform shirt when families can't afford one.

"They just have a big smile on their face," Mercier said. "They're just as happy as they can be that they're going to go home with a new shirt."

They're giving away dozens of backpacks stocked with goodies: lots of school supplies, lotion, shampoo and a glue stick.

"I think we have to help those who need the most help so they can bring themselves out of poverty," said Joe Mercier, Madison Middle School Principal.

Feeding kids, giving away clothes, those are not typically a school's job. But Mercier says making sure kids are clothed and fed is helping with the academics.

Madison came off the "needs improvement" list last year. And the school's seen student test scores climb and gain on a number of other schools in the district.

"Kids are kids. If you take care of them, like we're trying to take care of them, they respond appropriately," Mercier said.

And sometimes taking care of kids means taking care of the whole family. Tulsa Public Schools has a whole office to fight homelessness.

"They were able to get into a shelter," Mercier said. "They finally found them an apartment they could get into with some help, and the two kids we have are flourishing."

While Tulsa Public Schools' poverty rate is up, Oklahoma City Public schools has seen its rate go down – by 1%. But its rate is still higher than Tulsa's and has been for several years.