The child poverty
rate rose during the recession in 1 of every 5 counties across the nation, the
U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday.
The increase in poverty between 2007 and 2010 was especially
pronounced in the nation's largest school systems, where 96 of the top 100
districts reported growth in the number of poor children, according to data
compiled by Bloomberg.
The Census Bureau tracks school district poverty rates for the U.S.
Department of Education, which uses the data to direct federal funding to poor
schools. The figures also are used to determine the places where poor children's
test scores must be reported separately under the No Child Left Behind Act,
which can affect school funding and personnel.
Almost one-quarter of the 13,619 districts in the nation have 20,000
or more students. Those districts contain 81.6 percent of poor children, the
Census Bureau said.
The government sets the poverty level at $22,113 for a four-person
household that includes two people under 18. Bloomberg
Lee County, Florida, reported the greatest increase in poor students
during the recession. The proportion of poor children in the district, whose
population includes about 90,000 children, almost doubled to 25.3 percent.
Bloomberg The The nation's largest school district -- Almost all school districts are still struggling with the effects of
economic recession. From October 2010 to last month, local governments have shed
118,400 education jobs. schoolbullyingcouncil.com Last school year, 41 percent of schools had funding decreases and 72
percent expect further drops this school year, according to an October report
from the Government Accountability Office. Districts with high levels of poverty
had the most cuts. Census Bureau One in five American children lives in poverty and one in four
American children is on food stamps. Economic Collapse
SM/SM
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