Public schools in the Miami Valley range from a high of 16 percent immigrant student enrollment in the Dayton and Riverside region to 12 percent in parts of Butler County to effectively zero in rural southwest Ohio counties.
Nationally, more than 90 percent of students in Northeast Dade County, North Central Hialeah City, in Florida and in New York’s Jackson Heights and North Corona in New York City come from immigrant households.
The study shows a disproportionate number of low-income students land in public schools. In 2015, 28 percent of public school students from immigrant households lived in poverty and accounted for 30 percent of all students living below the poverty line. The authors say the results raise questions about assimilation and illustrate significant challenges for public school educators struggling to teach disadvantaged students.
More than 60 percent of students in immigrant households in Fairfield, Hamilton, Miamisburg, Middletown, Oxford, Trenton, and West Carrollton live below the poverty rate, data show.
Some other findings include:
Up to a third of immigrant students' parents illegal: Between one-fourth and one-third of public school students from immigrant households led by parents living in the country illegally; the remainder were the children from legal immigrant households.
Immigrant households concentrated: Just 700 Census Bureau-designated areas account for two-thirds of students from immigrant households. These same PUMAs account for nearly one-third of total public school enrollment.
Population of students speaking foreign language has grown: In 2015, 23 percent of public school students spoke another language besides English at home. This compares to 14 percent in 1990 and 9 percent in 1980.
Here are some of the study’s key findings for specific areas of the Miami Valley:
Butler County (North & West) Middletown, Oxford & Trenton Cities
Students from Immigrant households: 6 percent
Total number of students: 20,119
Number 1 sending country: Mexico, 55 percent
Number 2 sending country: Dominican Republic, 31 percent
Butler County (South Central) — Hamilton and Fairfield Cities
Students from Immigrant households: 12 percent
Total number of students: 19,927
Number 1 sending country: Mexico, 71 percent
Number 2 sending country: Ghana, 10 percent
Butler County (Southeast) — Monroe City & Beckett Ridge
Students from Immigrant households: 19 percent
Total number of students: 19,875
Number 1 sending country: Mexico, 31 percent
Number 2 sending country: India, 22 percent
Butler County (South Central) — Hamilton & Fairfield Cities
Students from Immigrant households: 12 percent
Total number of students: 19,927
Number 1 sending country: Mexico, 71 percent
Number 2 sending country: Ghana, 10 percent
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Champaign, Hardin and Logan Counties
Students from Immigrant households: 0 percent
Total number of students: 16,683
Number 1 sending country: n/a
Number 2 sending country: n/a
Clark County
Students from Immigrant households: 2 percent
Total number of students: 22,122
Number 1 sending country: Mexico, 79 percent
Number 2 sending country: China, 21 percent
Darke, Preble and Shelby Counties
Students from Immigrant households: 0 percent
Total number of students: 24,751
Number 1 sending country: Philippines, 100 percent
Number 2 sending country: n/a
Greene County
Students from Immigrant households: 4 percent
Total number of students: 22,586
Number 1 sending country: Indonesia, 31 percent
Number 2 sending country: China, 30 percent
Miami County
Students from Immigrant households: 0 percent
Total number of students: 18,000
Number 1 sending country: Colombia, 100 percent
Number 2 sending country: n/a
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Montgomery County (East Central) — Dayton and Riverside
Students from Immigrant households: 16 percent
Total number of students: 22,730
Number 1 sending country: Uzbekistan, 47 percent
Number 2 sending country: Mexico, 35 percent
Montgomery County (Northeast) — Huber Heights, Trotwood, Vandalia and Englewood
Students from Immigrant households: 3 percent
Total number of students: 18,432
Number 1 sending country: United Kingdom, 49 percent
Number 2 sending country: Nigeria, 41 percent
Montgomery County (Southeast) — Kettering & Centerville Cities
Students from Immigrant households: 5 percent
Number 1 sending country: Algeria, 30 percent
Number 2 sending country: Libya, 27 percent
Montgomery County (West) — Miamisburg & West Carrollton Cities
Students from Immigrant households: 11 percent
Total number of students: 12,272
Number 1 sending country: Honduras, 39 percent
Number 2 sending country: Canada, 38 percent
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Warren County (East) — Lebanon and Springboro (East)
Students from Immigrant households: 4 percent
Total number of students: 20,654
Number 1 sending country: Trinidad and Tobago, 36 percent
Number 2 sending country: Eastern Africa, 32 percent
Warren County (West) — Mason, Franklin and Springboro (West)
Students from Immigrant households: 2 percent
Total number of students: 20,335
Number 1 sending country: United Kingdom, 56 percent
Number 2 sending country: India, 44 percent
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