8.8% Of JCPS Students Were Homeless Last Year, Says Report

A new report from the Louisville Metropolitan Housing Coalition says more than 85 hundred Jefferson County Public Schools students were homeless at some point last school year.The report says 8.8 percent of JCPS students were homeless during the last academic year. It marks a 50 percent increase in homeless students over the past five years.Housing Coalition Director Cathy Hinko says homelessness takes a toll on academic performance."Only 37% of homeless students read at a proficient level compared to 67% of all JCPS third graders," she says. "The numbers are worse for math."Hinko says part of the solution to the problem is more affordable housing for low-income families. She's asking organizations to come together to figure out the best way to create that housing.