RAYTOWN, Mo. — More than 450 students in the Raytown School District are experiencing homelessness, and nearly half of those students are in elementary school.
"We have students who lived in cars, lived in hotels, motels, temporary homeless shelters, a lot of students who are unaccompanied living on their own for one reason or another," said Heather Reardon, Raytown School District McKinney-Vento liaison.
The school district's data reveals 45% of homeless students are in elementary school, 17% are in middle school, and 37% are in high school.
Reardon stated that the total number of homeless families has remained relatively stable for the past four years.
"Housing is so expensive, groceries are so expensive, transportation is expensive, it's hard to make ends meet," Reardon said.
While the school district provides some necessities, its resources are limited.
"We're a school district," Reardon said. "We can provide hygiene, emergency clothes, we can't provide first and last month's rent and a car."
That's where Serve the World Charities steps in. They can offer more comprehensive support to homeless families in the district.
"It's not talked about enough because these families don't want you to know, because they are trying to protect their privacy, they think being homeless is a crime, and it's not, it's just out of their control," said Stephanie Boydston, executive director of Serve the World Charities.
Boydston knows that homelessness creates significant barriers to education.
"When a child is homeless, it makes it harder for them to learn," Boydston said.
The organization has already made progress helping Raytown families find stability.
"They've helped two families get housing, transportation, better employment so they can be more independent," Reardon said. "It's amazing," Reardon said.
KSHB 41 previously reported that the charity has helped dozens of Center School District families find stability and become self-sufficient.
In Raytown, they're focusing on helping pay for stable housing, providing transportation, securing higher-paying jobs, and teaching parenting and budgeting life skills.
With their initial success in Raytown, Serve the World Charities is seeking additional community support and donations to expand their reach to other districts.
"We've housed two families, and that's nine students," Boydston said. "We are excited about that. The goal for 2025 is to have 40 families here in Raytown."
The charity needs help to continue to provide housing assistance, employment services, food, childcare, education support, medical assistance, utility assistance, identification documents, life skills training, transportation, and mental health services.
Donations can be made through the Serve the World Charities website at www.servetheworldkc.org.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
