Proposal to help Lee County homeless students

An advocate for homeless students in Lee County is now calling for a change on Thursday.

For the past four years, Sheena Torres-Nunez, a homeless district liaison, has dedicated herself to being the voice for homeless students across Lee County. She provides them everything from supplies to clothing.

“Being able to give families hope and being able to give our homeless students a sense of excitement,” Torres-Nunez said.

On Thursday afternoon, Torres-Nunez joined with the Director of Psychological and Social Work Services Amy Clark is proposing changes to the district’s homeless education policy.
The foundation of the changes allow kids to remain in the school they attended before they became homeless.

“I think the biggest thing is just ensuring that there’s inclusive language that ensures school stability and school accessibility for homeless students,” Torres-Nunez said.

“This gives our students the opportunity to remain within their school, with their peers, with their same teachers,” Clark said, “and as much as possible best ability within their school day.”

A mom who lost her home told WINK News, keeping her kids in the same school would be a great help to her kids. She had to use other people’s addresses since she did not have one.

The proposal for homeless students will be heard before the district in a public hearing in September. After that, the school board will decide whether to adopt the policy.

However, for Torres-Nunez, it’s about more than changing policy.

“It’s also what can we do,” Torres-Nunez said, “to reduce and eliminate the homelessness.”