Percentage of ESL students increases in Harrisonburg schools

Associated Press - September 23, 2007 2:15 PM ET

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) - Forty-one percent of Harrisonburg's public school students are in the English as a Second Language program -- the highest rate in Virginia.

Of the district's approximately 4,302 students, 1,765 are in the ESL program.

According to the school division's Web site, students in the ESL program in 2006-07 spoke 44 different languages. The Web site says 76% of the ESL students spoke Spanish.

Superintendent Donald Ford says in four to five years, the school system could see half its students in the ESL program.

The trend in Harrisonburg's ESL growth has lasted a decade.

Sam Nickels is the cultural diversity coordinator at New Bridges Immigrant Resources Center, which provides services to new arrivals. Nickels says immigrants are attracted to Harrisonburg because of jobs.

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