SACRAMENTO, United States, July 2 (Xinhua) -- California public schools have identified 230,443 students who lack stable housing for the 2024-2025 school year, a rise of 9.3 percent from the previous year, according to state enrollment data cited by CalMatters, a Sacramento-based nonprofit newsroom that covers California's policy and education issues.

Educators and advocates attributed the increase to the state's deepening housing shortage and to stronger tracking rules. Assembly Bill 27 of 2021 requires every school employee, from bus drivers to teachers, to recognize families living in cars, motels or crowded apartments. That training enabled staff to flag 21,000 extra children even as overall enrollment fell.

Kern County illustrated the shift. Officials there avoided the word "homeless," instead speaking of "families in transition." Since adopting the new language last autumn, the county recorded 7,200 students without permanent addresses, 10 percent more than in 2023.

According to county liaison Curt Williams, the higher count unlocked free transportation, tutoring and supplies, so dropping the "homeless" label makes families more willing to seek help.

However, the newly approved federal budget raised alarms among researchers such as Joseph Bishop, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who described California as the center of the crisis.

State lawmakers set aside 45 million U.S. dollars last year for regional liaisons to train districts, but the grant lasts only two years.

Researchers believe many children remain uncounted. They estimate that up to 10 percent of pupils who qualify for subsidized lunches may also lack secure housing, leaving tens of thousands still unseen. ■