LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — The Pasco County school board is shining a light on homeless students on Tuesday as it votes on a nearly $1 million funding package to help students who identify as homeless, and provide resources to identify other students who need help.

Pasco Schools officials say there is a growing number of students reported as homeless, due, in part, to impacts from the pandemic.

District officials said they have identified 1,354 students who are homeless, but believe the number to be under-reported because of students being reluctant to say they are homeless due to shame and other social factors.

The school board will vote on a Homeless Student Project on Tuesday at a cost of $945,421.

Danielle Husband, with Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg, said homeless students face all kinds of challenges, and the funding will go a long way to helping them find more stability.

She said some of the kids the diocese works with aren’t even enrolled in school.

“Because of substance abuse issues with the parents or mental health issues that aren't being treated, the kids aren't even enrolled in school and they are off the grid,” Husband said. "We've taken in families that are in a tent, in the woods, that were only stumbled upon by outreach teams trying to do homeless outreach and finding folks, that the kids weren't involved in the school system."

District officials said funds for the Homeless Student Project will help students with meal costs, transportation to and from school, health care issues and short-term assistance for housing.

The funding will also be used to increase resources to identify students who have not been identified as being homeless.