Homeless high schoolers inspire a plan

One student's mother was killed last year, leaving her and six younger siblings homeless. Another student was kicked out of his house by his new stepmother. Others ran away to escape drug-addicted or abusive parents, or were forced out because of their own addictions to drugs and alcohol.

Such homeless students, who may spend months "couch surfing" at friends' houses, are more likely to miss school, struggle academically, and consider suicide, according to a new state report that found the problem is far more widespread than officials had realized.

In response to the need, Boston is considering whether to open a residential program that would be the first in the state for homeless high school students and one of only a few in the nation. The program would probably serve a dozen to 20 students -- most of whom have rejected help from the Department of Social Services -- and would be sited at or near Boston Day and Evening Academy, an alternative high school in Roxbury's Dudley Square neighborhood.

But some educators and advocates for the homeless say the program could be risky for the school because it might distract administrators from their primary mission, education, as they take up the role of a social service agency.

"In some ways, a school doesn't have any business getting into housing. But what some of these kids may need most is a consistent home where there is order and people around who they can trust and who have their act together," said DeWitt Jones, chairman of the board of trustees for Boston Day and Evening.

Shaquillia Meadows, 16, who spent the last school year bouncing among friends' homes, sleeping on air mattresses, said she would benefit from a residential program at the school, where she is a sophomore.

"There would be people who care about me," said Meadows, whom friends and teachers nicknamed Skittles because of her ever-changing hair color, currently green.

Her mother is a drug addict who has locked her out on several occasions. Her grandmother could no longer take care of her after moving into housing for the elderly last year. Meadows now lives with a foster family.

"I felt like dropping out, but, honestly, I don't want to end up like my mother," said Meadows, who wants to study forensics in college. "If I had somewhere to go home to and eat and shower and rest my head, I would be like, 'Ok, now I could finish school.' "

A state report released last week suggests there are more than 5,000 high schoolers like Meadows statewide -- roughly 2 percent of all those in Grades 9 through 12.

The study, using data collected from a student survey, estimates there are 48,000 homeless students of all ages in Massachusetts, far exceeding the previous count of just 7,100, the number who had sought help from schools.

"People will be shocked to recognize that in Massachusetts in 2007, there's this number of kids who are homeless in one way or another," said David P. Driscoll, state education commissioner.

Driscoll called Boston's housing idea remarkable in light of the report's troubling findings, and said the program could serve as an example for other school systems.

"There's always risks involved, but to not do something is more dangerous," Driscoll said. "The best of all worlds is for a school who knows the kids to be willing to serve as a residence. This is pretty forward thinking."

School officials said they have not decided what a residential program would involve or where it would be located, but they hope to settle on a plan by the end of the upcoming school year. One possibility would be to house only homeless seniors and add a fifth year of schooling for them so they could simultaneously enroll in a community college. That dorm could potentially house homeless students from other Boston high schools as well, school and city officials said.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino supports the idea of buying or building a residence to give students more stability. He anticipates it would cost several million dollars to build, and said the city would have to scour state and federal coffers or raise private money to fund it.

"You don't want to just deliver barrack-type operations," he said.

Elizabeth Reilinger, chairwoman of the School Committee, said the school district should not try to serve all homeless students, but should focus on a specific population that social service agencies currently aren't helping.

"The reality of being able to help every student having a hard time with housing is limited because it's very costly," said Reilinger, former CEO and president of Crittenton Hastings House, a shelter and education program for single mothers. "It's worth looking at a pilot program, but it's not the answer to everything."

Boston Day and Evening currently educates about 350 students, many of whom landed at the school after dropping out elsewhere. Between 25 and 50 students are identified as homeless each year. School officials routinely go beyond duty to help these students. For example, one accompanied Meadows to a court hearing last year and helped her find a compatible foster family.

"Schools like ours need to address a lot of social issues that aren't being addressed on the outside. It would be immoral to ignore the problem," said Meg Maccini, headmaster of Boston Day and Evening.

Velveena Dodson, 18, whose mother was beaten to death, allegedly by her stepfather, in April 2006, spent much of the last school year squeezing into her older sister's two-bedroom apartment in Dorchester with six siblings.

Dodson, a senior, now plans to move into a homeless shelter with her 6-month-old son.

A high school dorm would allow students like her to get academic help around the clock, said Dodson, who wants to go to college to fulfill her dream of becoming a pediatrician or beautician, like her mother.

"There's no way you can fail if you live right above your school," she said.

Tracy Jan can be reached at tjan@globe.com.