As temperatures began to dip this fall, Allen Blackwell III says he and his colleagues at Baltimore City Public Schools kept watch on weather reports hoping to see it hit 32 degrees. That would herald the opening of winter shelters where homeless students and their families could be housed. âWe were in the support area before. Now weâre dealing with survival,â says Blackwell, the districtâs homeless and foster care liaison who oversees homeless services at 120 schools and 15 shelters as well as partnerships with local agencies. For students experiencing homelessness, schools are a lifeline for their entire families. Blackwellâs department has continued to provide food, clothing and transportation support despite being largely cut off from in-person contact with students since March.