Kelso schools served 294 Hispanic students in 2000, up from 70 in 1986. In Woodland, the Hispanic student population grew from 39 in 1986 to 125 in 2000. Students whose principal language is Spanish face challenges their English-speaking classmates don't. They have to perfect their English while keeping up with regular coursework taught in the new language, said Roxanne Stuart, director of student learning for Longview School District. Also, they must adjust to cultural differences and probably live with parents who speak little or no English, she said.
Bilingual teachers are in demand.
Interpreters are spread thin across school districts. And parents who need help with their English are welcomed back into public school. With that comes changes in culture and understanding. On a rainy Monday morning at Wallace Elementary School in Kelso, second-grader Brenda Serrano looks around for someone to help her read. Brenda speaks English well enough to get by, but not enough to keep up with the story other students are reading aloud.