Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 2, 1992 TAG: 9202030160
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: F-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANK TOTA
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
HOUSING, HEALTH, NUTRITION
IN ROANOKE, 52 percent of our children are formally designated as being from poverty-level families. If we use federal guidelines of a family of four earning less than $17,000 per year, the number increases to 65 percent.The president has declared that his first goal is that every child shall be ready for school in the year 2000. Sadly lacking, however, is any plan to reach that goal.
Are children who are undernourished because of lack of family finances ready for school? No. Is housing families where there is either a single parent who must be employed and the child unsupervised, or a number of families where there is underemployment, going to have our children ready for school by the year 2000? No.
In the city are approximately 16 housing projects that receive some federal or state assistance; within 100 miles around us, I think there may be one other project. Is it fair to our children to have this density of poverty all in one area?
If we are going to look at how to help poverty, we are going to have to look at making sure housing across our valley is more equitable, at having people working and playing and living with one another. Education then would not be a problem.
Ten years ago, the dropout rate at Roanoke city high schools was 17 percent; it is now at the state average of approximately 4 percent. That still means 160 students each year are lost to the schools, primarily either because of behavioral problems or financial problems.
Through magnet-school programs, children of different races have an opportunity to come together. What we do not have is the integration of different economic classes. That, of course, would happen more if housing patterns in the city were better integrated socio-economically.
Someone must be the voice for the children and the poor. TAP and the schools cannot do it alone.
Governmental agencies must mobilize the business community and civic agencies to invest in our children through programs for unwed pregnant mothers, to continue the nutrition of children before they reach school-age, to continue to develop programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. Appropriate housing, health and nutrition efforts must be made for our children during their first five years after birth. Schools would not need so many remedial programs; research also shows that students who are ready to begin school continue through graduation.
In Roanoke city schools, approximately $5,000 is spent per child per year for education. To have a student drop out or become incarcerated comes to a public expense of eight times more. While we have reduced the dropout rate threefold, we still have many young adults in their late 20s who are in need of education and increased employment opportunities.
To help assure that by the year 2000 our children would not suffer the anguish of poverty as much as today, we need housing, employment opportunities and assistance to children before they reach school age.
Once they are in school, they at least have six hours of a productive, eventful and fruitful day. What happens outside that time is out of the schools' hands, and we must look to the business community to assist us.
Frank Tota is superintendent of Roanoke city schools.