"Class of 2025" student Ethan left school early the day OPB visited so that his family could move into a domestic violence shelter in another part of the region.
Roxy De La Torre / OPB
In the first episode of the OPB’s “Class of 2025” podcast, reporters Roxy De La Torre and Rob Manning follow Ethan’s difficult journey through fourth grade. It was his first time back in a public school after being homeschooled for three years.
But as Ethan worked to adjust to a new life in public school, his family was going through turmoil. They had been forced to leave the family mobile home and relied on the Portland area's overstretched social service network for housing.
Escuche el podcast en español: ¿A Quién Le Importan Las Matemáticas Cuando No Tienes Un Hogar?
Ethan moved in and out of different shelters and his school attendance suffered. Balancing basic health and safety with academic needs is a challenge facing a growing number of families in Oregon and beyond — and one obstacle to the goal of ensuring every child graduates high school on time.
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