BEAUMONT, Texas — The Beaumont Independent School District is seeing a shift in its student population.
Hispanic students now account for 27% of the student population. Two decades ago, that number was 7%.
This boom is pushing the district to provide helpful tools for parents who may not be fluent in English and struggle to help their children with their homework.
Title III Community Liaison for Beaumont ISD's ESL and Bilingual Department Alberto Iglesias says only 14% of students in that 27% have enrolled in ESL and bilingual programs.
"We help them to develop these skills and help them get to the point where they don't need the program anymore," Iglesias said.
While students are getting help, Iglesias says he can't forget about parents, too.
For this reason, the district is hosting its 6th Annual Bilingual Parent Resource Night on Thursday, Oct. 5.
The event takes place at the Fletcher Elementary School gym at 6 p.m.
Throughout the evening, there will be guest speakers, business partner giveaways and distribution of bilingual materials. The General Consulate of Mexico will be on-hand to provide free financial information starting at 5 p.m.
Iglesias says parents can also learn how to apply for FAFSA.
The district has hired more bilingual teachers that reflect the shifting population.
"The goal for the district is to hire more bilingual teachers, but sometimes we struggle," Iglesias said.
This is all part of a continued effort to break language barriers across Beaumont.
The district will offer free English classes at the end of October. During this, parents will get to spend two days a week for the rest of the school year learning a skill that will benefit them for a lifetime.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.