Selma Rotary Club partners with schools to combat violence, poverty

SELMA, AL (WSFA) - The Rotary Club of Selma and Selma City Schools are declaring a war on youth violence, gangs, and poverty by developing a new partnership.

According to Selma officials, the new partnership will include programs and strategies like Youth Serve and Shadow, Adopt a School, Bike & Likes and more. Each is aimed at combating violence, gangs and the various forms of social decay caused by high levels of poverty among Selma's youth.

There are over 3,000 students enrolled in Dallas County Schools during the 2016-2017 school year. Officials say 57.2 percent of children live in poverty with 6.8 percent of students in the 2013-2014 school year being homeless.

From these statistics, officials believe the consequences result in high crime and violence rate and low neighborhood attachment.

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