Ask any student at Scott Dual Language Magnet Elementary School what they’re doing and they’re just as likely to answer in English or Spanish.
Since switching to a dual-language magnet school in 2009, Scott has drawn parents from all over Topeka specifically to her English and Spanish classes. Hispanic parents, in particular, have flocked to the school to make sure their native language is not lost to a new generation.
At Scott, Hispanic students are the majority, and many Topeka USD 501 schools may soon look like elementary schools. While overall enrollment continues to decline, Hispanic students continue to be one of the fastest growing demographics at Topeka USD 501.
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The ethnic group now makes up 33.5% of the district’s 12,795 students, just a few percentage points behind the 35.9% of white students.
“Within a few years, they will be the (relative) majority in our district,” said Aaron Kipp, director of assessment and demographics for Topeka USD 501.
Topeka 501 USD adapts to an increasingly diverse student body
The change in demographics reflects a broader shift in Kansas, as the Hispanic resident population grew by 25% in the 2020 Census. But even as Topeka USD 501 officials prepare for a continued expected decline in enrollment by eliminating open positions, the district is also adapting to an increasingly diverse student body, said Pilar Mejia, director of cultural innovation. She also previously taught and was a principal at Scott before stepping into her newly created district-level position earlier this year.
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“This is not some kind of overnight transition or one step,” Mejia said. “The district has monitored these demographics for years, and as we have become aware of trends in the Hispanic population growth, we have taken proactive steps to support who is already here and who may be coming.”
This includes a focus on hiring more black staff and teachers, including Hispanic teachers, to help students see themselves in the adults around them at school. For the past several years, the district has had a program to hire exchange teachers from Spain and Latin American countries.
Mejia, in her new position, is also helping schools across the district build close relationships with all parents, especially in learning how to navigate any cultural changes in communication and practice.
Hispanic Heritage Month includes events to learn about the culture
Ann Gorsuch, principal at Scott, said these relationships are essential to understanding any questions Hispanic families may have about their children’s education. With an on-site translator, the school translates any material it sends to parents.
“And that’s for all students,” Gorsuch said. “You help them find value in education and help them achieve their goals through it.”
This month, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the school has several events, including a cultural tour on Friday, to help the school learn more about the majority culture. Assistant Principal Lisa Martinez helped lead the event’s organizing efforts, which include bringing Hispanic professionals and representatives from the community to the school.
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Although Topeka’s Hispanic students come from a wide range of generations, many are recent immigrants who ostensibly came to the country in search of opportunity. So the opportunity is to give students the space to dream.
“When we put people in front of kids who look like them and do different things, it tells them that the world is for them, too,” Martinez said. “There are a lot of kids out there who don’t believe the world is for them, but Topeka Public Schools does a fantastic job of creating an awareness of the needs of those students without casting a negative light on it.”
Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.
