District spends $3.56 million in educating foreign language students

Humble ISD is truly a diverse community, as evidenced by an annual report on the English as a Second Language program, or ESL. The program has increased from 1226 students in 2001 to 2923 in 2008. Special programs coordinator Sara Smith-Frings recently presented information on the set of courses to members of the Humble ISD Board of Trustees.

“In Humble, 54 other language speakers are represented,” said Smith-Frings. “Spanish continues to be the majority ‘other language’ (nearly 88 percent) with these individuals originating from a number of countries including Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Peru. Vietnamese is the second most prevalent language, at two percent of the ELLs”

Smith-Frings’ report found that the students background educations varied widely.

“Students’ educational backgrounds vary from those that are well-schooled in their home countries to those that have limited formal schooling. Some students enter with some foundational English skills while others come with no knowledge of English,” said Smith-Frings. The eventual goal of the program is to aid students in a transition to an all-English general education setting.

Humble currently provides both ESL and bilingual programs to PK-5th grade. ESL programs for grades 6-8 and ESOL programs in grades 9-12 are also provided. According to Smith-Frings, “Bilingual programs are required at elementary grades where there are 20 or more students of the same language group in a grade level (district wide).”

Smith-Frings said that the goal of the two programs is the same: “For the students to experience academic success while learning English. The difference is that in bilingual education, students are taught academic concepts with primary language support, and in ESL the instruction is in English using second language methodologies.”

Overall, Humble ISD spends approximately $3.56 million for the ESL program for the education of slightly less than 3,000 students.

Supplemental federal funds provide for instructional aides and general education teachers.

“At HHS, AHS, SMS and HMS, newcomer classes provide intensive English instruction in listening, speaking, reading and writing for recent immigrants,” said Smith-Fring.

Additionally, federal funds provide support for an experienced part time mentor to new district ESL teachers, a bilingual coach who provides a mechanism for program alignment, and administrative guidance from a UTEP professor.

District representative Karen Collier explained that enrollment cannot be denied to a child who lives within a school district, regardless of language. “We are a truly international community,” said Collier.

In response to a question regarding the resident status of foreign language students Collier replied, “Whether or not a child speaks a foreign language is not a reliable test of whether he or she is legally residing in this country either temporarily or permanently.”

Collier cited specific reasons for the districts position on the topic.

“Denying enrollment to children who are not legally admitted into the United States violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982),” said Collier.

“The parents or guardians may either rent an apartment or house. If so, remember that portion of a renter’s payment would go towards the taxes the property owner pays. If they own a home within the school district, then they pay property taxes directly,” said Collier.

“As these children are legally enrolled, obviously, if they were not in these classes, they would be in other classes in the school district. They would still need a teacher or teachers, books, classroom space, etc.”

Collier said there are no indicators available for estimates on how many illegal aliens attend in the district.