WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia public schools have seen a sharp rise in students experiencing homelessness over the past five years — a trend that educators say reflects mounting economic pressures on families and the need for stronger, more coordinated support systems statewide.
State Senator Vince Deeds of Greenbrier County is seeking to address part of the challenge. He recently introduced Senate Bill 432, which would allow youth experiencing homelessness to acquire identification documents at no cost. Not having those documents can create problems for homeless youth who are attempting to go to work or school.
During the 2024-25 school year, state records show that West Virginia local educational agencies (LEAs) identified 15,101 students experiencing homelessness, representing 6.3% of the statewide student population, up from 3.79% just five years earlier. LEAs include traditional public schools and public charter schools.
“One child experiencing homelessness is too many,” said Margaret Williamson, assistant superintendent at the West Virginia Department of Education (DOE). “As social and economic challenges persist, the youngest and most vulnerable among us are affected in ways many people do not realize.”
The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires states to provide a number of key protections for students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, according to Rodd Monts, director of state policy for SchoolHouse Connection, a national nonprofit that works to overcome homelessness through early care and education. LEAs also must designate McKinney-Vento homeless liaisons to identify students, remove barriers to attendance, and connect families to transportation and resources that improve educational outcomes, he said.
DOE officials said implementation of the law includes staff training, needs assessments, and documentation of services provided.
Rising needs in local districts
In Kanawha County, the state’s largest school district, homeless facilitator Kathleen Allen said her caseload has doubled over the past two years — a result of both increased awareness among educators and growing housing instability among families.
“We’re seeing a lot of evictions,” Allen said. “The cost of living keeps rising, and families are trying to stretch every dollar. They fall behind on rent or bills, and it quickly snowballs.”
Many students experiencing homelessness are staying with others temporarily, a situation known as “doubling up.” Forunaccompanied youth without active parental support, housing instability often means frequent moves from one home to another — commonly referred to as couch surfing, Allen said.
Those conditions take a significant toll on students’ well-being and academic success, Allen said.
“If a child is sleeping on the floor, hasn’t showered, or comes to school in dirty clothes, that’s going to affect their entire day,” she said.
Lawmakers consider additional state-level solutions
As schools respond to growing needs, state leaders are weighing policy changes to reduce barriers for students experiencing homelessness.
Deeds, who also serves as director of public safety for Greenbrier County Schools, reintroduced legislation this session that would help students obtain vital identity documents, such as birth certificates and state IDs. Those documents are often required to apply for jobs, secure housing, access services, or enroll in college.
“This is a low-cost, high-impact solution that more states are adopting,” Deeds wrote in a recent opinion piece. “The lack of identity documents creates significant roadblocks.”
Deeds noted that only 5.4% of West Virginia’s students experiencing homelessness stay in shelters, while 86.1% live temporarily with others — highlighting the need for policies that reflect how homelessness is most commonly experienced.
McKinney-Vento protections help support improved educational outcomes, but additional state policies—such as vital documents legislation—are needed to address related needs not covered by federal law, Monts said. As youth homelessness continues to rise, coordinated action and sustained attention on the part of educators, state officials, and lawmakers is essential.
Another critical step is strengthening LEAs’ staffing capacity, advocates say. While federal law requires each LEA to designate a homeless education liaison, West Virginia law assigns that role to attendance directors — effectively doubling their workload and limiting the attention students receive.
Advocates say the existing structure is not sustainable. In large counties like Jefferson (1,369 homeless students) and Kanawha (1,315), the volume alone is daunting. In smaller counties, such as Clay, where 32% of PreK-12 students (529) experience homelessness, according to DOE data, the proportions can be staggering.
Homeless liaisons are responsible for identifying students, arranging transportation, ensuring access to meals and school activities, and coordinating a wide range of services, Monts said. In many LEAs, social workers or counselors fill those roles. They are trained to build trust with students and families who may be reluctant to identify as homeless. That makes identifying and serving students especially challenging, according to educators like Allen. They say that expecting attendance staff to perform both roles effectively undermines outcomes for students.
Decoupling the homeless liaison role from that of the attendance officer would allow educators to respond more urgently and effectively to absenteeism and student homelessness, Monts said. Lawmakers have an opportunity to make this change and ensure that West Virginia students experiencing homelessness are no longer underserved because the professionals charged with supporting them are stretched too thin.
