Huge Hispanic Boom in Schools

"Georgia and other Southeastern states have seen the nation's largest percentage growth in enrollment of Hispanic students in their public schools, according to a study released Thursday.

At 390 percent, Georgia's increase was the fourth-largest in the nation, behind those of Arkansas and North and South Carolina, according to the report by the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group. Alabama was fifth."

"Fueled by the burgeoning Hispanic population, the number of public school children nationwide increased by 4.7 million from 1993 to 2003, the largest growth since the baby boomer generation started school. Hispanic students accounted for 64 percent of the total growth, or about 3 million children."

"From 1993 to 2003, Hispanic enrollment in public elementary schools increased by 1.6 million — roughly four times the number for black students and eight times that for Asians. During the same time, white enrollment declined by 1.2 million, the study shows."

"The number of students [in one county] with limited English proficiency increased from 1,473 in May 1994 to 15,185 in May 2005, she said. During the same period, the number of students who primarily speak a language other than English increased from about 3,900 to nearly 41,000."

"In the Cobb County school district, the number of Hispanic students has increased from 2,215 in 1996 to around 14,000 currently, said spokesman Jay Dillon."