News Briefs: Grand Junction Receives Stimulus Money to Help Homeless Students

Published September 2009 Vol. 13 Issue 8

Grand Junction’s school district, District 51, will receive an $80,000 grant to help homeless students. The district’s REACH program (Resources, Education and Advocacy for Children who are Homeless) will use the money to send certified teachers to six district schools to tutor homeless students.

The district, which served 478 homeless students last year, selected schools with the highest concentrations of homeless students. Recently, District 51 has seen a major increase in homeless students. There were twice as many students classified as homeless in the district for the 2008/2009 school year than there were for the previous year. Because the district will actually be receiving more money than it requested, Cathy Haller, District 51 prevention services coordinator, is waiting for approval from the state to send certified teachers to two more high schools.

—Sarah Harvey