The Rotary Club of Selma and Selma City School are taking a stand against poverty in Dallas County.

On Monday, the combined entities will announce their plans to help fight the staggering poverty levels that our students experience.

Rotary Club President Jerria Martin said that out of the 3,060 students enrolled in Dallas County Schools during the 2016-2017 school year, 76 percent of the students are black or African-American.

“Poverty is prevalent among these students,” she wrote in a press release adding that 86.1 percent of students are eligible for free and reduced lunches compared to 59.2 percent of students in Alabama.

Martin also said 57.2 percent of children live in poverty or 66.3 percent for African-Americans.

Dallas County is ranked 67th out of 67 counties for this statistic, according to Martin.

She said 6.8 percent of students in the 2013-2014 school year were homeless compared to 3.2 percent in the state, according to the 2015 Kids Count Data Book.

We commend the two groups in joining forces. Whatever their plans are, we know that it will be effective and be the start of something that will make a drastic change.