"Grand Island Public Schools' (GIPS) Families in Transition (FIT) outreach team aims to promote the scholastic success of students in transitional living situations. Students that are considered 'in transition' are those of families living with other families, in shelters, motels, or living in the streets. Assuring these students are provided basic home and school resources is critical given that currently, Hall County, Grand Island, Nebraska has one of the highest poverty and transient rates in the entire state. Specifically speaking, 42.2% of the county's families with children do not own their home and 45.4% of children belong in low-income families, according to Voices for Children data." (GIPS website: https://ne50010936.schoolwires.net/Page/1566)
As lack of transportation is one of the biggest barriers to regular school attendance for students experiencing homelessness, it is critical to ensure options to facilitate school stability and remove barriers to enrollment and retention. The school district considers options and collaborates with families to determine the needs for every child impacted by the situation.
For GIPS specifically, the funding will be used for:
Purchasing scooters or bicycles
Purchasing bicycle helmets
purchasing ride passes for CRANE transportation for parents/children
Minor car repairs for capital FIT families
This program counts on public support as district budget constraints limits spending capacity.
As a Rotary Club, in addition to this District Grant, we will promote donations of both cash and goods within our club and our community to help strengthen GIPS's abilities to address these needs.