State Senator and Jeffco Leadership visit The Action Center’s School Supply Distribution
State Senator Lisa Cutter, Tracy Dorland, Superintendent of Jeffco Public Schools, and Tara C. Peña, Chief of Family, School and Community Partnerships of Jeffco Public Schools visited the Action Center’s school supply distribution on Monday, August 7 at Everitt Middle School where thousands of Jefferson County students receive school supplies.
It is a time of excitement for children as school begins, but it can also be a time of financial hardship for some families. In most households, back-to-school time is the second largest spending event of the year at $200-$600 per child. Coupling that with inflation causing a 15% increase in the cost of school supplies, 10% higher food prices, 8% higher rent or housing costs, and 100% higher utility costs, it's no wonder Jefferson County families are facing difficulties covering all those extra costs.
The Action Center’s school supply distribution provides much-needed school supplies to nearly 5,000 students of low-income families or those experiencing homelessness in Jefferson County. The need in Jefferson County is substantial; during the 2021-2022 school year, more than 3,100 students were identified by the school district as facing some sort of homelessness. Currently, one out of every three students is on the free-and-reduced lunch program.
The distribution takes place August 2-7 at Everitt Middle School in Wheat Ridge at 3900 Kipling St.