Minority students reach 50% in Salem-Keizer District
John Gear
Minority students reach 50% in Salem-Keizer District
For the first time, minority students make up half the student population in the Salem-Keizer School District.
Fifteen years ago, about one in five Salem-Keizer students were minorities. A decade ago, that figure had increased to one in four. Five years ago, 42 percent of students were minorities. Now, it’s one in two.
“Reaching the 50 percent mark is really just a reminder of how diverse our community is, but it does not trigger any changes to our policies or procedures,” district spokeswoman Jay Remy said.
Most of the district’s minority students — 39 percent — are Latino, according to data released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education.
Five percent identify as multi-racial; 2 percent as Asian; 2 percent as Pacific Islander; 1 percent African American and 1 percent Native American.
Although demographics have been changing, overall public school enrollment increased slightly statewide and in the Salem-Keizer School District.
Statewide, there were 563,714 public school students, an increase of 2,768 students, or one-half percent, during the 2011-12 school year.
Salem-Keizer recorded 40,228 students, an increase of nine students, or 0.02 percent, over last school year, but still fewer than two years ago.
Salem-Keizer remains the state’s second-largest school district, after the 46,581-student Portland Public Schools.
Enrollment figures are important to school districts because they figure into the amount each district receives in state school funding. They also factor into decisions about facilities and programs.
Salem-Keizer, for example, passed a $242.2 million school construction bond in 2008, when enrollment was growing quickly and school crowding was anticipated. Since then, the district has grown by just 122 students.
“We had so much overcrowding when the bond was passed it was not necessary to have a lot of growth to fill up the schools,” Remy said. “We’ve also closed five small elementary schools in the past couple years due to budget cuts.”
Among other area school districts, Woodburn had the highest rate of growth, at 3.19 percent. Falls City had the lowest, losing 12.16 percent of its students.
Woodburn remained Oregon’s most diverse school district, with minorities accounting for 81 percent of students. Gervais was close behind with 71 percent, and Mt. Angel had 55 percent.
They are among 18 of Oregon’s 196 school districts with minority enrollment of 50 percent or greater. Overall minority enrollment statewide is 35 percent.