BY: NATASHA JASPERSON
Immigration has profoundly affected K-12 education, influencing classroom demographics, instructional strategies, and school policies. More than 600,000 immigrant children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian since 2019, according to government data. As the number of immigrant families increases, schools must adapt to meet the needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This diversity leads to overcrowded classrooms, financial strain, academic difficulties, and social tensions. Schools in high-immigration areas often struggle with limited resources, the need for specialized programs for English language learners, and disparities in academic achievement. These challenges highlight the importance of examining how immigration affects K -12 education and the need for policies that promote equitable opportunities for all students.
The Trump Administration has recently issued executive orders to curtail the influx of immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally. The administration issued a memo titled the “Unaccompanied Alien Children Joint Initiative Field Implementation,” which directs immigrant agents to locate migrant children who entered the U.S. without their parents. According to Reuters, the memo said the children would be served a notice to appear in immigration court or be deported.
The Center for Immigration Studies reported that in 2021, 11 million public school students from immigrant-headed households (legal and undocumented) accounted for nearly one out of four (23 percent) students in public schools. Ten percent of these students are designated Limited English Proficient (LEP). According to the Department of Education, only 370,000 teachers hold the proper certifications to teach LEP students. This disparity affects how teachers can meet the needs of English Language Learners and lead to higher student-teacher ratios. Overcrowded classrooms lead to decreased attention from teachers as they work to address the needs of their ever-changing classrooms. The increase in student populations strains other resources such as cafeterias, libraries, and transportation. It is difficult for schools to keep up with the additional funding needed to serve immigrant students. Accommodations must be made, as the law requires schools to provide educational services and LEP programs to immigrant students.
The increasing number of immigrant students in classrooms has placed a significant strain on the education system, impacting overall education quality. According to a FAIR 2022 report, more than 100,000 teachers are serving as LEP teachers without the proper certification. Teachers often struggle to provide individualized attention as they work to accommodate diverse linguistic and cultural needs. Larger class sizes, compounded by the influx of foreign-born students, have been linked to lower student performance. A 2019 report on the academic achievement of immigrant and native-born students found that first and second-generation immigrants scored 15 to 13 points lower than their native-born peers. They also found that more foreign-born students in a school is associated with lower achievement for students. The average student in a school with an average proportion of foreign-born students would score about 2.4 points lower on the mathematics assessment than the average student in a school with no foreign-born students. These challenges highlight the impact of immigration on the classroom and the need for better teacher training and language support programs.
The additional resources and attention required for ESL students can also impact non-immigrant students. Teachers must adapt their teaching methods by incorporating visual aids, simplifying language, and providing extra explanations, which can divert time and resources from the classroom. This shift often results in a slower-paced curriculum, which can negatively affect overall learning outcomes from all students.
The financial burden on school districts has significantly increased due to the rising number of immigrant students. One significant expense is the funding required for English as a Second Language (ESL) and bilingual education programs. According to FAIR, public schools spent over $78 billion in 2020 to accommodate the educational needs of immigrant students, with a substantial portion allocated to language instruction. Only 1 percent comes from federal funding. The rest comes from state and local resources. Schools must hire additional staff to support students requiring specialized assistance. This staff included ESL teachers, interpreters, and counselors. These costs place added strain on already tight school budgets.
Schools with high immigration populations often face disparities in funding. The average public school student from an immigrant household attends a school where 39% of their peers are also from immigrant backgrounds. In some cases, this figure exceeds 50%. However, these schools frequently struggle with inadequate resources due to the lower income levels of many immigrant families. This leads to reduced local tax contributions. As immigrant-driven enrollment surges without a proportional increase in tax revenue, schools must navigate budgetary conflicts between meeting the needs of both immigrant and non-immigrant students.
The rising cost of education has sparked debates over the financial burden placed on local taxpayers. Public concern has grown over the allocation of funding, particularly regarding resources for undocumented students. Some argue that these expenses divert funds from other educational priorities, while others emphasize the necessity of investing in immigrant students to ensure long-term societal benefits. As school districts grapple with these financial challenges, policymakers continue to debate how to balance educational equity with fiscal responsibility. Republicans in five states have introduced legislation to block undocumented children from attending public schools. Tennessee, Oklahoma, Utah, Indiana, and Texas have all introduced legislation that challenges the Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe, which guarantees education opportunities for undocumented children.
Many immigrant students struggle to understand lessons and classroom instructions due to limited English proficiency. The Center for Immigration Studies reported that 10 or more foreign languages are spoken in public schools. This linguistic diversity adds another layer of complexity for educators. English proficiency remains a significant barrier, as 44% of undocumented students over the age of five report speaking English “not well” or “not at all”. As a result, these students struggle with standardized testing and assessments, which are typically designed for native English speakers, further hindering their academic performance.
Immigrant students face a significantly higher dropout rate compared to their non-immigrant peers. A 2022 report from Advocates for Children of New York found that the dropout rate for immigrant students was three times higher than that of non-immigrant students. Nationally, data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that in 2022, the dropout rate for foreign-born Hispanic students was 20.2% compared to 5.6% for U.S.-born Hispanic students. The challenge is even more pronounced for foreign-born teens who arrived in the U.S. recently and had limited or interrupted prior education, as over 70% of such students drop out of high school. These academic struggles are often compounded by a lack of academic support systems tailored to students who face both language and cultural barriers, further widening the achievement gap between immigrant and native-born students.
New York City has seen an influx of immigrant students and continues to adapt. According to the Department of Education, 16.3% of NYC students in the 2023-24 school year were identified as ELLs. They receive additional funding as many immigrants live in temporary housing, which qualifies schools and other institutes to receive additional funding to address the needs of immigrants. At PS 111, roughly 36% of the 400 students live in temporary housing. It is normally 10-20% of the student population. In July 2022, they had 100 students enroll in just a few days. They had to hire additional staff to deal with overcrowded classrooms. In 2023, they had 75 new students enroll. The staff at PS 111 integrate immigrant students into the classrooms by pairing them with another student who speaks English at a higher fluency. This helps the new students adjust and make new friends. The school now has three new LEP teachers, with one focusing on kindergarten. English learners are pulled out of class for 180 minutes of specialized instruction a week. They learn math and other subjects alongside their English-speaking peers, and there is an LEP teacher to help them adjust the lesson so that they can understand it. It can take up to three years to learn English
Another city that has seen an influx of immigrants is Miami, Florida. The influx has helped fill schools that were under capacity for decades. Over 20,000 immigrants enrolled in school during the 2022-2023 school year. Due to COVID-19 and their travel to the U.S., many of these students lack skills such as knowing their ABCs in second grade. Now, the school district is working to hire new teachers to handle the new enrollments. They also provide counseling services to new immigrants. Due to the immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, many students are not coming to school out of fear that they will be deported. Most students enrolled during the 2022-2023 school year are from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti. These countries’ immigrants were allowed to live and work in the U.S. for two years as part of a Biden administration parole program. Now that the Trump administration has rescinded this program, many of these immigrants live in fear of deportation along with their children.
The impact of immigration on K-12 education is complex and affects classroom dynamics, teacher preparedness, resource allocation, and overall academic achievement. As schools navigate the challenges of accommodating a growing number of immigrant students, they must balance the need for specialized language instruction and cultural integration with the broader demands of the education system. The financial burden on school districts and disparities in funding underscores the need for policy solutions that ensure equitable opportunities for all students while maintaining educational standards. While some communities have found ways to integrate immigrant students effectively, others continue to struggle with overcrowding, limited resources, and concerns about declining academic performance. Addressing these issues requires a coordinated effort among educators, policy makers, and communities to create a sustainable and inclusive education system that supports immigrant and non-immigrant students.
