In a report on the impact of immigration on public schools, the Federation of American Immigration Reform, (FAIR), stated that using Census Bureau data, approximately 96 percent of the increase in enrollment in schools in America is due to immigration. 

No Room to Learn,

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_research438f

Put another way, absent immigration, public school enrollment would be stabilized and schools could work to improve the quality of education instead of struggling to provide enough school rooms and teachers to keep pace with immigration.  

 

In a 2005 report, FAIR estimated that the state of California spent $7.7 billion educating the children of illegal aliens in the school year 2004-5.   Oregon spent $401.8 million in the same time period.  Breaking the piggy bank; how illegal immigration is sending schools into the red.

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researchf6ad

The U.S. Department of Education reported this year that only 77 % of high school seniors nationwide graduate from high school.    The drop out rate was even higher for some of America’s big cites.  Denver has a 65% drop out rate.   In Cleveland 76% of high school students drop out.    In Portland less than 50% graduate.   

Last year the Oregon Department of Education issued a report that stated “Only 22 of the 129 Oregon school districts with English-language learners met minimum goals.”  That is an 80% failure rate.  

OFIR encourages readers to read further about the impact of immigration on Oregon public schools:

1.  Oregon LEP Enrollment Growth 2004-2005  (link to
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/oregon/03_demo.htm)

Enrollment in Oregon public schools by K-12 students who are either undocumented or U.S. citizens born to legal and illegal immigrants, and whose primary language at home is still a language other than English, require 3-7 years of special teacher support in English. They are funded at 150% the rate of funding provided by the State of Oregon for native-born students whose primary language is English.

a. Number of ELLs by Districts (2005-06) (link to original NCELA
Excel data base sent to you (see attached Original NCELA file))

The ELL/LEP/ESL population appear as significant numbers in most of Oregon's major metropolitan school districts, and by virtue of the court ruling known as the Plyler ruling (link to http://www.coedu.usf.edu/fle4315/section1/webquest/Plyler.html) are required
to be provided an equal and free public education, whether they are legal residents or not. They are required to be provided special English instruction for 3-7 years, if they chose to speak a language other than English at home, and they must receive some support by special para-professionals in their mainstream subjects.

OFIR has made some assumptions on the need for school districts to build new schools just to serve the LEP (ESL, ELL) populations: Most Oregon Urban schools are, for economic reasons, built to accommodate 500+ students at the elementary level, 1000+ at the middle school and high school level. The 'New school construction needed', for illustrative purposes, shows how many schools of each type would be needed, if:

1. LEP students were spread equally across the three levels, 2. All at elementary
level;

2. All at middle school level or 3. All at high school level.
The factors in the first column shows how many sets of (1 elementary
school, 1 middle school and 1 high school) is needed to support current LEP
population.

b. New school construction needed to support LEP enrollment  (link to modified Excel data base (see attached 2006-7 ELL Enrollment))

2. Growth of state-wide LEP student cohort in Oregon 1994-2005  (link to http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/oregon/03_demo.htm)

LEP enrollment in all of Oregon's public schools have increased by 133% between 1994 and 2005; data is not available at NCELA for 2005-8 yet. While LEP population growth has increased from a state-wide total of 25,701 in 1994-5 school year to a 59,908 in 2004-5 school year, the enrollment data shows that total student enrollment in all Oregon's schools went from 558,628 to 552,3242, or a 1% drop of 6,284 students between 1995 and 2005.The enrollment graph for LEP students appear to represent a near exponential growth pattern that, if extrapolated into future years, would show accumulative growth rates for Oregon LEP population of over 2-300% for   the 1994-2015 period.

Oregon LEP Enrollment Growth 2004-2005  (link to attached  State of Oregon LEP Growth pdf data base)

3. OFIR welcomes all legal immigrants to Oregon as represented by it's Initiative 112, Respect for Law Act (link to OFIR's initiative E-Petition) but has concern about the current social and economic costs of unrestrained and illegal immigration. OFIR is particularly concerned about the average Oregon teacher's ability to teach all students at grade level, when, as currently, average mainstream class sizes are about 30+ students, and the number of current and former LEP students is rising in most classes. Due to the Plyler ruling (link to http://www.coedu.usf.edu/fle4315/section1/webquest/Plyler.html) and other civil rights rulings the impact on schools, social services and employment opportunities for native borns is significant.

Adults are advised to address their concerns about schools rationally at the school board and principal level, and, of course with
their state and national legislator.

Several national educational websites discuss these issues:

a. CommonSense on Mass Immigration (link to http://www.commonsenseonmassimmigration.us/). It includes several brief
essays.

b.Watson Institute for International Studies (link to http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_immigration.php) has developed a
scholarly study guide for small groups to discuss the immigration issues impacting the U.S and current citizens ). It includes a survey for policy makers.

c. The Oregonian (link to http://search.oregonlive.com/) has published numerous informative articles on 'Schools and immigration.'
Their archived articles are best accessed via your library portal (you need a library card and ID.) Search for key words 'schools and immigration' under 'Newspapers.'