B.G.: 162 homeless students counted

Battle Ground — There were 162 “known homeless students” attending Battle Ground schools as of April 13. That’s according to Lydia Sanders, the district’s liaison to homeless students, as reported in the latest school district newsletter. The number of homeless students is steeply higher than previous annual counts: There were 146 in April 2011, 142 in 2010, 115 in 2009 and 58 in 2008. For these purposes, “homeless” is defined as lacking fixed, regular, adequate night residence. It includes those who are camping or “couch surfing,” that is, doubling up with relatives or friends.