School districts along the East Coast, and in areas with a large Puerto Rican population, are preparing for an influx of students.
As hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico is still largely without power and running water, many parents are thinking of sending their children to relatives to the mainland of the United States to continue their education.
School districts along the East Coast, and in areas with a large Puerto Rican population, are preparing for an influx of students, particularly once airports on the island are fully functional again. Schools from Miami-Dade, Florida to New York City and Chicago are starting to work with their communities expecting many students to arrive.
The Orange County Public School District, which covers Orlando, Florida, plans to offer additional services such as counseling and food, for families displaced by Hurricane Maria.
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Dr. Khalid Mumin, school superintendent in Reading, Pennsylvania, where 84 percent of the enrolled students are of Latino descent, said at a school board meeting, « My main goal is to make sure that our children know that their family members have a safe place, a welcoming place, and somewhere that they can continue on their educational journey.”
The US Department of Education ensures that students in the 50 states, Washington D. C., and Puerto Rico have access to “free and appropriate public education.”
