Berks Alliance Community Forum: Reading School District Knight's Keep

Focusing on students who are experiencing housing instability, the Reading School District has created a safe haven in the Reading High School.  Open on school days, the space offers laundry services, showers, a space for studying and a kitchen area.  The Knight’s Keep opened this fall, to provide a safe space for students who needed assistance. 

In 2023-2024, the district estimated that about 175 high school students experienced some level of homelessness or instability. In the prior school year over 1,028 students across the district were identified as having a housing challenge.

The safe space is manned by social workers and counselors who offer support and guidance to the students using the space. The Knight’s Keep grew out of an earlier initiative in the district the Knight’s Closet program that provided students with necessities like food, clothing, hygiene products and school supplies.

The Knight’s Keep offers students the opportunity to remain in school, feel supported and continue their growth and development.