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Students at Tom McCall Upper Elementary in Forest Grove.
(Benjamin Brink / The Oregonian)
Latinos now make up one-fourth of Oregon's first-grade enrollment, a record-high share, the state reported Tuesday.
The proportion of Oregon students who are Latino has slowly increased over the past several years, while the share of students who are white non-Hispanic has narrowed, the Oregon Department of Education said.
Over the past four years, Latino enrollment in Oregon public schools has grown by 15,000 students, to 125,000, while white enrollment has dropped by nearly 16,000, down to 364,000.
Latinos make up a larger proportion of Oregon's youngest students than its high school population, which is 20 percent Latino.
The state now has eight majority-Latino school districts, including Woodburn and Milton-Freewater.
Forest Grove, with 5,900 students, is the most heavily Latino district in the Portland metro area. Latino students make up just a hair under 50 percent of its enrollment and whites 46 percent, the state said.
Statewide, public school enrollment grew about one half of a percent this school year, to 567,000. But more than 40 percent of school districts shrank, including Beaverton, Eugene and Springfield.
Portland, the state's largest district by far, added more than 500 students, or a little more than 1 percent, to exceed the 47,000 mark. Beaverton, the third largest behind Salem-Keizer, shrank by 55 students to about 39,400.
West Linn-Wilsonville schools grew a lot, adding 375 students, or 4 percent, to their rolls. That growth was split between the district's high schools and its primary schools.
North Clackamas schools also grew and surpassed Eugene to become Oregon's fifth largest district.
North Clackamas grew by about 20 students, to 17,000, with all the growth coming in elementary schools. Eugene schools shrank by about 150 students, or 1 percent, dipping below 16,900.
Estacada schools shrank, losing more than 200 students, or 8 percent, since last school year. Those losses occurred primarily in alternative high schools that served students from many districts.
Bend-La Pine schools added more than 250 students. That put the central Oregon school district within striking range of surpassing Eugene as well.
-- Betsy Hammond
betsyhammond@oregonian.com