Richland 2 Demographics

Here is a fascinating webpage I had not visited before:  https://censusreporter.org/profiles/97000US4503390-richland-school-district-2-sc/

The demographics for Richland 2 are there. This is for the boundaries of the school district, not the County. It is not a Richland 2 website.

The first item that caught my attention was the Number of children in poverty: 16%.

Wasn't there a report by the School District (www.richland2.org) that 47% of the students were in poverty? Please correct me on the number, if that is not right.

Here's the result when I searched the Richland 2 website for "poverty"? NO RESULT.

But one of the choices that appeared was "purposity"? What in the world is that? Curious? Go to https://www.richland2.org/Departments/Administrative-Services/Learning-Support-Services/Social-Workers/purposity

You know I'm a picky reader; right?

So, when I read "... connect people in need with those that can help ...", I immediately wondered, "When did the board approve that?" And then, "Did it?"

And then I read this on the District's website:

Did You Know?

• During the 2018-19 school year, social workers identified 615 homeless students.
• Richland Two’s district-wide free & reduced lunch is right at 50 percent.
• In order to qualify for Free or Reduced Meal Program, a family must have an income of 185 percent below the federal poverty level. A family of four (4) must make less than $47,638 annually to qualify for reduced lunch and a family of four (4) must make less than $33,475 annually to qualify for free lunch.
• Richland Two serves an estimated 600 to 700 students per week with the Backpack Program that offers food to students on the weekend.
• The Richland Two Backpack Program is offered in every school across the district and supported by many community resources.
• Many of our Richland Two schools have a food pantry to help families have access to an immediate food resource.

Can you figure out what the following line means? I wonder what kind of advanced degree it takes to understand what this sentence means!

"In order to qualify for Free or Reduced Meal Program, a family must have an income of 185 percent below the federal poverty level."

Do people read what they write? I can understand "10% percent below the federal poverty level." Or 20% of 50%. Even 80%. Does 100% below the federal poverty level mean Zero? 

Now, explain "185% below the federal poverty level".

Obviously, what it should say is, "a family must have an income below 185 percent of the federal poverty level." That's the federal income poverty guideline times 1.85.

Next questions. Food on week-ends? Food banks? Why aren't we promoting independence, instead of reliance on "government"?

What's that proverb? 

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him

for a lifetime.