AUSTIN (KXAN) — School districts across Texas are preparing for classes to start once again.
Unlike most years, however, some are anticipating a higher number of immigrant children enrolling.
They really won’t know how many until school starts.
To help guide these schools and others around the country, the Department of Education has sent out a fact sheet to school administrators.
Included in the fact sheet is some background:
“All children in the United States are entitled to equal access to a public elementary and secondary education, regardless of their or their parents’ actual or perceived national origin, citizenship, or immigration status. This includes recently arrived unaccompanied children, who are in immigration proceedings while residing in local communities with a parent, family member, or other appropriate adult sponsor.”
Gene Acuna, a spokesman for the Texas Education Agency, said “Every child in this country has a right to an education, so if a student shows up with a guardian that can enroll them in a school district, that child is entitled to right to education.”
The fact sheet also lists resources available for schools enrolling immigrant children, including newly arrived immigrant children.