This month we’ve been taking a look at poverty in Waco—a little over 30 percent of Wacoans live below the poverty line, that’s about twice the average poverty rate across Texas. We’ve talked to Waco city leaders, educators, and activists about what exactly’s going on in Waco—and we discuss different programs across the city that are trying to attack the causes and remedy the effects of poverty.
The conversation is with Waco Mayor Malcolm Duncan, Jr. and former Waco Mayor Virginia Dupuy. In addition to their official capacities, Duncan and Dupuy are involved with Prosper Waco, an anti-poverty initiative that’s trying to unite the City’s various poverty programs into a cohesive effort. The talk starts off covering a study the City commissioned with the Upjohn Institute last year that looked into labor and employment trends in Waco. One of the big takeaways from this study was that 40 percent of Waco households make less than $25,000 per year.
Many of Waco’s schools are located in the poorest areas of town. 89 percent of the district is on free or reduced lunches. Students at J.H. Hines Elementary in East Waco are at a 97 percent economic disadvantage. At Indian Spring Middle School in downtown Waco – 93 percent of students are also at an economic disadvantage. A majority of the students who attend these schools are either black or Hispanic. In this next conversation – KWBU’s Jill Ament spoke with J.H. Hines principal Tra Hall, Indian Spring Middle School’s new principal Dr. John Jenkins, and Waco ISD Superintendent Bonny Cain.
One of the biggest ways that poverty affects the lives of poor Wacoans is food insecurity. In this last conversation, KWBU's Ryland Barton talks with Buddy Edwards, the executive director of Caritas in Waco, and Shamethia Webb, the regional director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, a non-profit based at Baylor that addresses hunger issues across the state.