Oakland enrolls - and graduates - older immigrant students many districts deny

Oakland Unified School District actively accommodates older immigrant students, despite their challenges such as language barriers and lack of documentation. The district's enrollment office is particularly accessible, staffed with multilingual employees who assist students lacking vital documents. Beyond offering education, the district provides practical support, including transport options and school supplies. Principal Carmelita Reyes emphasizes this initiative is a moral obligation. This system exemplifies a commitment to empowering students like Jose Rafael Villegas Pena, an aspirational pilot from El Salvador, who strives for a college education with their assistance.

"It is a moral mandate," said Carmelita Reyes, a principal who has worked with such students for years. "It is not a state mandate that we serve them, but we choose to help those who need it most."

"I need college," said Villegas Pena, who came to the U.S. from El Salvador in January 2022. "I want to be a pilot." Oakland Unified supports his aspirations."

Read at The Oaklandside