A group of students in east San Jose took a stand at their district board meeting Thursday to share their concerns after they have seen unhoused people inside their school.
A group of 20 students from KIPP San Jose Collegiate said that there are unhoused people in their bathrooms, used needles on their lunch tables. It’s an issue that students say has been going on for a year.
“We see them coming into our bathrooms. We have them sleeping in our athletic shred and we also have them breaking fences and doing drugs on the lunch table,” said Alfredo Hernández, a student.
NBC Bay Area reached out to district officials for comment Thursday but did not hear back.
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Kipp San Jose Collegiate sent the following statement:
At KIPP, our number one priority is the well-being of our students, and we take safety issues very seriously.
We are proud of our KIPP San José Collegiate students for raising important, valid concerns through their public advocacy. KIPP staff are committed to working in partnership with East Side Union High School District leaders to address the safety of the facilities at the Independence High School campus, where KIPP San José Collegiate is co-located.
We also know that facilities upgrades alone will not solve the web of complex issues presenting themselves at the school campus. A safe campus and community requires comprehensive coordination—to ensure the well being of all of our neighbors, including the unhoused community in the area. We are committed to working with the district and the City of San José towards a resolution.
Yomara Lopez has more in the video above.
