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California Records 230,443 Homeless Students as Key Grants Face Expiration

Improved McKinney-Vento training drove a surge in identified homeless students with relief funds approaching expiration

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Overview

  • State data for 2025 show a 9.3% increase in homeless students to 230,443 across California.
  • Most of the rise stems from expanded staff training and broader definitions under the McKinney-Vento Act rather than a worsening housing crisis.
  • Kern County’s population of identified homeless students climbed 10% to 7,200 after schools adopted stigma-free language and outreach.
  • Homeless students continue to underperform academically, with elevated absenteeism and discipline rates and only 16% meeting state math standards.
  • Nearly all pandemic relief and McKinney-Vento grants that fund transportation, tutoring and supplies have been spent and federal funding is absent from the 2026-27 budget.