WS/FCS students experiencing homelessness more than doubled since 2020

The number of students experiencing homelessness in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school district has more than doubled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the 2020-2021 academic year, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools served 481 students who were identified as experiencing homelessness. 

That number jumped drastically the next year to 956 students.

WS/FCS Lead School Social Worker Robin Fisher said last year’s total reached more than a thousand.

“Oftentimes, these students have very little time to get out of their homes. Oftentimes, they can't take things with them or just what they can carry," Fisher said. "So as you can imagine, that creates a great deal of disruption, and stress and chaos and sometimes trauma.”

Students of color, students who are pregnant, and LGBTQ students are far more likely to experience homelessness. The same is true for those with disabilities and English language learners.

The district has a program called Project HOPE that is designed to serve these students and their families by helping with enrollment, transportation, meals and more.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.