In Trisha Boehm’s class, last names such as Reynoso and Ortiz are just as common as Moore and Gilbert.
Out of Boehm’s 21 first-grade students this year, eight are Hispanic. That’s the largest number she’s had in her five years teaching at East Lake Elementary School.
“Every year (the number of Hispanic students) is growing,” she said. “The first year I had two or three; the following I had four, then five, and it increases every year.”
During the last five years, several elementary schools have seen huge increases in their Hispanic student enrollment.
East Lake Elementary’s Hispanic student count rose from 13 in 2005 to 78 in 2009, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Education Report Card. Hispanics’ share of the student body went from 3.9 percent to 19 percent. Principal Stacy Johnson said more than 150 Hispanic students have enrolled so far this year.
Clifton Hills Elementary went from eight Hispanic students in 2005 to 94 in 2009, the data show.
Hamilton County Schools spokeswoman Danielle Clark said the numbers reflect “a shift in the neighborhood, and it’s about how the community is fluctuating.”
Several years ago, most Hispanic students were concentrated in a couple of schools such as East Side Elementary School, where 44 percent of students are Hispanic.
Raquel Hidalgo, who works with the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults in the East Lake area, says she’s seen the Hispanic population grow in the area.
“Once a family moves into the neighborhood, usually others follow,” she said. “Hispanics tend to be very family oriented. They like to live close to one another so they’ll be able to help each other.”
Others may be moving for economic reasons, said Johnson, former assistant principal at Clifton Hills.
“A lot of them are coming from Georgia since (that area) was really hit by the economy,” she said.
Several middle and high schools also have started to see an increase in the number of Hispanic students, such as Ooltewah Middle and High schools, but elementaries have the largest share.