Rome City School District staff participated in a Poverty Simulation at RFA on Monday, September 25, 2023. The Rome Teacher’s Center facilitated the Simulation in partnership with Connected Community Schools to help staff understand the various challenges our students and their families experience throughout our community. Like many people in poverty, Ann faces the daily struggle to keep a roof over her head and her children fed. Ann is just one person in the up to 26 families of the Poverty Simulation. During the Poverty Simulation, participants take on the identity of someone like Ann. Participants worked together with their family to live a month in poverty. Like in real life, you need transportation to work or school. You need food on the table. You might struggle with a chronic illness. Throughout the month you will face the daily stresses and challenges a person in poverty faces. Again, this simulation is not a game. It is based on the stories of real-life Community Action clients.
The Rome City School District is a Title I District because of its high poverty rates. Qualification is determined by the amount of free and reduced lunches within each building with a minimum of 40%. Below is a list of the poverty rates of each qualifying building as of October 2022:
Bellamy - 78%
Denti - 63%
Gansevoort - 82%
Joy - 51%
Strough - 61%
RFA - 53%
Stokes is at 39%, just 1% short of also qualifying as a Title I school.
