Impoverished Kids: Standing Room Only

IMPOVERISHED KIDS: STANDING ROOM ONLY There were 82,385 children in Marion County's public schools eligible for free and reduced-priced lunches in 2008-09, the last year for which data are available. We wondered what it might look like if we filled Lucas Oil Stadium with these children and divided them into various categories. Examples: children not reading at grade level, those who are homeless or in jail, those who are in foster care, those who are enrolled in alternative schools, and the estimated number of students who likely will drop out. 82,385 students are impoverished. 70,000 of these students could fill Lucas Oil Stadium... the 12,385 remaining would form 70,000 of the impoverished students JOHN KELLY, 12 a long line. » Of the 70,000 students filling Lucas Oil Stadium: School 14 South St. If those students formed a » His family copes with line outside traveling east to Meridian Street, then following Meridian north, that line would stretch beyond 30th Street. 17,668 Students not reading at grade level extreme poverty and teeters on the brink of homelessness. LUCAS OIL STADIUM 4,133 Students in juvenile corrections 3,687 Students who are homeless VINCENT PERO, 17 2,265 Students in foster care Marion Co. 30th St. Indianapolis Metropolitan High School » Vincent had given up on school, entering high school struggling to read "The Cat in the Hat." 1,536 Students in alternative schools The Children's Museum 1,000 Students likely to drop out Ivy Tech Community College Note: Some overlap may occur in the categories. For example: a child who is not reading at grade -Court Fall Creek 65 level may also fall into another category. JEREMY BYRD, 19 16th St. Ben Davis High School » He was on his own and had to find places to stay and money to buy food. The line of 12,385 students unable to fit in the stadium SHANDY BOATNER, 20 Monument Circle IPS Evening School » Graduated from an IPS alternative school program at age 20 while pregnant. SEATS Indiana- Note: Shaded areas Statehouse There are 63,000 seats for football and 70,000 seats for basketball (shown). are approximate. South St. -Lucas Oil OUR CHILINIEN Stadium YOU CAN IMPROVE A CHILD'S LIFE BECOMING A VOLUNTEER There are dozens of ways you can help a child in need. To figure out which best suits you, go to our online tool at IndyStar.com/ourchildren. A quick, interactive database will connect you Thantu 70 with the right people to make good use of your CLCK ELOW YOU WOULD LE TO time, talents or donation. INDYSTAR.COM VOLUNTEER DATABASE 1/2 mile Sources: Indiana Department of Education; ISTEP data; Marion County Juvenile Court; National Coalition for the Homeless; ESRI, TeleAtlas (map data) MICHAEL CAMPBELL / The Star Meridian St. Capitol Ave. АН 1Z