With over 53,000 students attending 93 campuses across the county, the Mobile County Public School System deals with pupils from all walks of life — including those struggling with homelessness — and the state’s largest school system is working to combat those issues. The Mobile County Board of School Commissioners on Monday approved a $671,000 contract with the Alabama State Department of Education to fund a community outreach event for homeless students and their families. Participants will be eligible to receive “tangible resources,” such as bus passes, gas cards, classroom and non-classroom supplies and medical services.
While the event is only for one day, MCPSS Board President Don Stringfellow said the system is continuously working to find ways to help students who may be dealing with the uncertainty of where their home will be from one week to the next. Stringfellow said MCPSS currently has around 5,000 students who are classified as homeless. While that can mean the traditional sense when it comes to homelessness, Stringfellow said the situation also applies to those who have been forced to move in with a relative or are bouncing between homes.
“It’s a big issue and it grows every year,” Stringfellow said. “Homelessness isn’t necessarily people living out under the tree or whatever. But it can be those who have moved back in with relatives.
” As a lifelong educator in Mobile County with over 50 years of experience as a teacher, administrator and .