The number of New York City public school students who lived in homeless shelters for at least part of 2015-16 rose by more than 4,000 over the year before, district figures show.
The New York Daily News reports that the numbers from Independent Budget Office show an increase from 28,567 to 32,803 students, a 15 percent increase.
The number of schools with 10 percent or more of students living in shelters increased from 61 in 2011-2012 to 155 in 2015-2016.
Of the city's five boroughs, the Bronx had the most students in 2015-16 living in shelters — 13,729.
City Education Department spokeswoman Toya Holness says Mayor Bill de Blasio has restored $10.3 million to the city budget for programs to help homeless students.
“Students in shelter are among our most vulnerable populations,” Holness says. “We are hiring more social workers through the Bridging the Gap initiative, expanding Afterschool Reading Club, providing admissions supports to improve participation rates and offering more school-based health services.”
