Decatur schools officials say an increase of immigrant students has faced district officials with unexpected educational and financial challenges.
The Decatur Daily reported Tuesday that Superintendent Ed Nichols said some of the roughly two dozen Central American children have enrolled in Decatur schools are unable to speak English or have never been enrolled in a formal school.
Federal law requires public school districts to educate children regardless of immigration status. The district's Chief Financial Officer Melanie Maples says the district will have to hire two additional English as a Second Language teachers that weren't included in a budget that was recently passed.
The newspaper reports state education Superintendent Tommy Bice authorized the district to use some of its $150,000 in federal funding for low-income students to pay the teachers.