The U.S. Census Bureau released data on income and poverty estimates for the nation’s 3,142 counties and more than 14,000 public school districts, showing that the number of school-age children living in poverty-stricken families has increased in 653 counties. The database contains statistical data for every county in the nation.
The Escambia County Public School District has in 2010 had 11,914 children between the ages of 5 and 17 living in families in poverty. That’s 26.9 percent of their student population in that age group, more than 1 out of every four students.
This percentage is a huge jump from five years ago-21 percent-and up from 2000 (10 years ago)-19.7 percent.
Look at the database – here.
So any cut in social services on the state or federal level will hurt the local economy, placing the burdens of taking care of these children more on our backs and reducing the amount of outside dollars flowing into this community.