By Natalie Hanson, February 5, 2020, Chico Enterprise Record
CHICO — In the Chapman neighborhood, traveling to and from school looks a bit different. Children often walk or bike on their own to Chapman Elementary, located one block away from East 20th Street. They must leave their backpacks and belongings hanging on hooks outside classrooms in the open air, now that the lockers that once lined the hallways have been removed.
“We’re short on space here,” Dave Tehan, of custodian services, said.
About 81% of the approximately 330 students at Chapman Elementary are socioeconomically disadvantaged, according to the California Dashboard. Of these, there are about 23 families currently experiencing a form of homelessness.
The reality of living under the strain of instability on young students is clear to staff on any given day at school. In many ways, children living in financially-disadvantaged homes with working parents rely heavily on the school for at least six hours of each day. Many students stay from 6:45 a.m. to nearly 6 p.m. at night, Principal Mike Allen said. The students often take advantage of the school’s programs offering support and meals before and after classes.
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