Migrant surge causes strain on schools: Survey

KARAH RUCKER: A NEW SURVEY REVEALS THE IMPACT THE MIGRANT SURGE IN THE UNITED STATES IS HAVING ON SCHOOLS. 

REUTERS POLLED 75 SCHOOL DISTRICTS … ACROSS 23 STATES.

A THIRD SAID THE INCREASE IN MIGRANT CHILDREN HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT LEADING TO BUDGET ISSUES AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS. 

42 DISTRICTS SAID THEY HAD TO HIRE MORE INSTRUCTORS TO TEACH THE STUDENTS HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH. 

FIFTEEN DISTRICTS NOTED DIFFICULTIES COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS WITHOUT PROPER HELP FROM INTERPRETERS.

17 DISTRICTS SAID THEY REQUESTED ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDS TO HELP IMMIGRANT STUDENTS. 

ACCORDING TO IMMIGRATION COURT RECORDS, MORE THAN HALF A MILLION SCHOOL-AGE MIGRANT CHILDREN HAVE ARRIVED IN THE U-S SINCE 20-22. 

DENVER HAS SEEN A MAJOR INCREASE IN MIGRANTS ENROLLED AT ITS SCHOOLS. 

DURING THE 20-22 TO 20-23 SCHOOL YEAR –  “DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS” HAD A LITTLE MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND-FIVE-HUNDRED MIGRANT STUDENTS.

THE 20-23 TO 20-24 SCHOOL YEAR HAD NEARLY 4-THOUSAND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS ENROLLED.

WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER TEACHERS FEEL THEY’RE TRAINED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MIGRANT STUDENTS…

23 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WERE WELL TRAINED.

41 PERCENT SAID PARTIALLY TRAINED.

10 PERCENT SAID THEY WERE NOT WELL TRAINED.

AND 2 PERCENT SAID THEY HAD NO TRAINING. 

17 OF THE RESPONDENTS DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION. 

ELEVEN RESPONDENTS IN THE REUTERS SURVEY SAID THE NEWCOMERS HAD ENRICHED THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND BROUGHT NEW PERSPECTIVES THAT COULD HELP OTHER STUDENTS LEARN. 

ALL CHILDREN IN THE U-S – REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS – HAVE A RIGHT TO A FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION. 

BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAYS FOR ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THOSE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.

FOR SAN I’M KARAH RUCKER. 

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