Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) has announced that they are opening up additional showers and restrooms to Seattle Public School students and their immediate family. The newly available showers are at the seven SPR pools.   This is in addition to four community centers across the city that already make showers available to anyone who needs one.

I appreciate SPR’s efforts to make hygiene services more available to youth and families in Seattle. This resource will especially help students experiencing homelessness. A new report by Schoolhouse Washington shows that there were 4,368 Seattle Public School students experiencing homelessness in 2018, 88% of whom are students of color. Schoolhouse Washington’s new data dashboard shows negative outcomes in attendance, language arts and math proficiency, and graduation rates of students experiencing homelessness—this data validates the challenges a student experiencing homelessness faces, even if they are “doubled-up” i.e. living with family and/or friends with resources not meant to accommodate several people.