A California school district is seeking a “support services consultant” to help unaccompanied illegal immigrant minors navigate the state’s educational and support services.
According to a USA Today report, the Oakland Unified School District began advertising for such a consultant this month to assist the unaccompanied minors with counseling, legal, health, and educational services.
“In the same way there are school specialists who deal with foster youth or refugees, we need a specialist who tracks these kids,” Catalina Reyes, principal at Oakland International High School, told USA Today.
Since October, more than 62,900 unaccompanied minors have been detained illegally entering the United States. Most have subsequently been placed with sponsors in the U.S.
So far this year, more than 3,900 unaccompanied minors have been placed with households in California, according to data from the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
USA Today reports that Oakland has enrolled 150 unaccompanied minors since June 2013, with 50 of them enrolled at Oakland International High School.
According to USA Today, the first task for a consultant would be to help the unaccompanied minors get legal help, but that until somebody is hired, school employees will be the ones offering advice.
“We are trying to help, but honestly, that’s not our job,” Reyes told USA Today.
San Francisco’s school district is also reportedly considering a similar position, according to the report.
In terms of how school districts will cope with the new students, California Department of Education spokeswoman Tina Jung told Breitbart News that the state “already has a plan in place.”
She reiterated that “all children, aged 6-16, in California are entitled to a fair and adequate education.”
“In California, the CDE has funds for immigrant students under the federal Title III program, but local educational agencies (LEAs) have to meet certain criteria… to apply for funds under the Title III Immigrant Education Subgrant Program. CDE has set aside about $8 million for fiscal year 2013-14 for this program. However, use of the funds for this program do not distinguish between those children who come to the U.S. accompanied or unaccompanied,” she added in an email.
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