Schools reflect Guymon’s diversity

October 12, 2011

One look around Guymon, and most people can see how diverse the community has become. And nowhere is that more evident than in the city’s public school system.
During his report at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, Mike Parkhurst gave an eye-opening statistic. Among Guymon’s public school children, 24 different languages are spoken in the home.
“Last year we had 17 different languages in our school system,” Parkhurst said. “And this year we have 24.”
Parkhurst said many of the students speak perfect English, but their parents may not.
“When they go home from school, these are some of the languages they’re going to hear,” Parkhurst said.
The list includes English (USA, Belize and Canada), Amharic (Ethiopia), Tigrinya (Eritrea), Shona (Zimbabwe), Thai (Thailand), Gujarati (India - children born in the USA), Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Portugese (Brazil), Arabic (Saudi Arabia - children born in the USA), Slovak (Slovakia), K’iche’ (Guatemala), Kanjobal (Guatemala), Tagalog (Philippines), Filipino (Philippines), S’gaw Karen (Burma/ Myanmar), Pwo Karen (Burma/ Myanmar), Zomi (Burma/Myanmar), Lohei (Burma/ Myanmar), Burmese (Burma/Myanmar), Spanish (Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Puerto Rico), and American Sign Language.
Because of that diversity, the Guymon School System receives quite a bit of Federal aid — $718,175.10 this year to be exact — for Migrant Education (Title I, Part C).
“We can only target that money toward a student that qualifies as a migrant,” Parkhurst said. “That’s extremely hard to find expenses that only target that (particular) student.”
Guymon will receive $2,157,910.80 in Federal aid this school year. the breakdown is as follows:
•Project Code 511 - Title I - Improving Academic Achievement for Disadvantaged Students ($625,732.74);
Project Code 521 - Title I, Part C - Migrant Education ($718, 175.10);
Project Code 543 - Title II, Part A - Videoconference Center ($29,500);
Project Code 541 - Title II, Part A - Improving Teacher and Principal Quality ($63,030.97);
Project Code 572 - Title III, Part A - Limited English Proficient ($89,263.65);
Project Code 687 - Title VI, Part B - Rural and Low Income - $58,989.25;
Project Code 731 - ABE - Adult Education Literacy ($48,430.96);
Project Code 621 - Special Education ($512,974.80);
Project Code 641 - Special Education (3-5 year-olds) - $11,813.40.