The United Way of Denton County recently released its 2022 Denton County Community Needs Assessment, which highlighted the growing rate of children who are economically disadvantaged.
This is the UWDC’s third Community Needs Assessment, and the first one with “a special focus on ALICE (households that are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) which expands the definition of struggling families beyond poverty to include Denton County households earning below a stable income level,” according to a news release from the organization.
“The first step to improving lives in any community is understanding the needs,” said Gary Henderson, president & CEO of United Way of Denton County. “This report highlights where Denton County stands in the areas of education, financial stability, and health & mental health – the building blocks of a thriving community. Along with our partner agencies, we use this data to secure desperately needed funding and as a compass to guide our efforts to provide critical safety net services and identify unmet needs.”
In the assessment, the UWDC found that the number of economically disadvantaged students in Denton County has increased for 13 straight years and is now at 45,173 students, or 34.6% of all Denton County students. Half of those economically disadvantaged students are in Denton and Lewisville ISDs. Data shows that economically disadvantaged students are more likely to struggle at school. The number of students who are considered at-risk of dropping out of school is at 33.5%, a 5.73% decrease since 2017.
The Community Needs Assessment also includes data related to Demographics, Children & Families; Housing & Income; Health/Mental Health; and Veterans. The 167-report “provides a snapshot of Denton County’s most significant challenges.” Click here to view the entire assessment.
