"Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says more than 8,000 students were identified as homeless last year."

When kids have to deal with homelessness, they don't have a whole lotta time to worry about excelling in school. When they don't advance in school, they limit their ability to succeed in the job market. When they hit "employment" age, they discover that they aren't skilled enough to get a decent job and at the same time realize that minimum wage jobs don't pay enough to cover all the most basic and rudimentary expenses associated with keeping one afloat and housed. When they then discover that they can't even afford a place to lay their exhausted heads for the night, they wonder why they bother working in the first place. It's really no wonder so many turn to drink, drugs and crime to bury the misery and hopelessness....

Hundreds of Students in Central Wisconsin Are Homeless

Posted: 7:24 PM Sep 15, 2008 Last Updated: 7:24 PM Sep 15, 2008 Reporter: Julia Fello

Hundreds of students in Central Wisconsin are homeless, and are struggling to get enrolled in school this year. The Stevens Point School District allowed us to speak with their homeless coordinator Monday on the startling numbers, and how they are helping their students.

All school districts in Wisconsin are required by law to help homeless students through the enactment of the 2001 McKinney-Vento Act, that defines children as homeless if they lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. In total, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says more than 8,000 students were identified as homeless last year.

The Wausau School District says that about 16 students did not have a permanent address, and 51 students were reported as homeless in the Stevens Point School District last year alone.

"These families really want their kids to go to school. they really see that as a way out of economic hardship, and anything we can do to make it easier for the kids to be in school everyday i think is well worth it," says Mary Arnold, Social Worker and Homeless Coordinator for the Stevens Point School District. She's proud to say she was able to help 27 families get back on their feet last year, and hopes to do the same this school year.

If you know a child who is homeless, follow the link below to find out how you can help them.