Liberal Schools See Shift In Demographics

Like many districts across the nation, Liberal schools are now dealing with a shift in demographics.

Two decades ago most students in the Liberal School District were Caucasian. Hispanic students were the minority.

Hispanics now make up nearly 70 percent of the student population with Caucasians making up around 20 percent. And with that change, school officials are now trying to deal with a culture gap. The problem is t social; students tend to get along. Instead, i s academics. Because of the language barrier, many students fall behind. But through the ESL and Literacy First programs, teachers are working through those concerns.

The avid program also helps push students to take more rigorous course work. And school counselors are available to help explain college and scholarship material to students and their non-English speaking parents.

For the district, i s not just about getting the kids through high school but giving them a chance to succeed.

The district also has tutoring programs and it is currently working on developing an ESL club to get those students more involved in school activities.