Richfield Public Schools Embrace Demographic Shifts, Diversity

Following a trend revealed by data collected for the 2010 U.S. Census, which shows an increasingly diverse population in Richfield, the district’s public schools are diversifying at even more rapid pace.

As by Patch, Census data for Richfield shows that over the past decade the city’s demographics have shifted dramatically, with most non-white race groups increasing in size while the number of white residents in Richfield–measured as a percentage of the city’s overall population–decreasing. Specifically, the white population dropped by more than 10 percent between 2000 and 2010.

In addition, the 2010 Census showed that even as Richfield saw a marginal increase of less than 1,000 individuals in its overall population over the decade, the city’s statistical makeup saw dramatic shifts.

The greatest increase came from those identifying as Hispanic or Latino, a group that increased from 6.2 percent of the city’s population in 2000 to 18.2 percent in 2010. Officials for Richfield Public Schools reported that this trend is most definitely reflected in the district's student body.

While numbers for the entire district were not immediately available at the time of this article, (RHS) Principal reported that the high school saw an increase in its Hispanic population from 29 percent in 2006 to 35 percent in 2010.

Further, the district has seen even greater shifts in its overall demographics since 2000, according to . He reported that in 2000, when the population in Richfield was 81.2 percent white, the school district’s student population was 65 percent white and 35 percent students of color. By 2005, the ratio was 52 percent white to 48 percent students of color, and by a count taken Oct. 1 2010, 67.2 percent students of color to 32.8 percent white, which is a 15 percent swing in both directions in six years.

Again, the largest increase was in Hispanic or Latino student enrollment, which Slotterback sees as positive trend that necessary for Richfield students.

“One of the things we always tell people is that the way the Richfield School District looks now is the way the state and the country are going to look in 30 or 40 years,” Slotterback said. “Preparing students today for that demographic shift is important.”

While the change in the city’s population has a direct effect on the make-up of the schools’ student body, the district allows open enrollment through programs such as , which allows students from lower-income families in Minneapolis and other areas to attend Richfield schools.

While the overall enrollment numbers have fluctuated—declining from 4,269 in 2000 to 3,980 in 2009, with an increase to 4,112 in 2010—the open-enrollment numbers have steadily increased. In 2000, Richfield had 287 open-enrollment students while the schools now record 424 students at the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.

Although a definitive correlation doesn't yet exist, school administrators estimated the 2010 opening of Richfield S.T.E.M. School, a “specialized” elementary school that allows students to learn curriculum under a scientific lens, may account for the increased enrollment.

The district's diversity is reflected in some of the unique challenges its educators face. West estimates that Richfield students, with many students speaking English as a second language, speak more than 40 languages. The school tracks ELL (English language learner) students and tries to make sure they get the appropriate help learning English, especially early in their academic careers, so they can succeed within any school system.

This has also caused schools to employee staff members as outreach workers for non-white race groups. In order to better connect with students and their families, the district employs an African-American outreach coordinator, a Somali outreach coordinator, and seven Hispanic outreach coordinators. They are responsible for helping students and their families integrate into the school system more fluidly.

While West and Slotterback see the change in the community and the schools as being a good thing, they also said the rapid changes have caused racial tensions. However, these tensions aren’t among the students, but rather expressed by adults and parents.

Though the reason for the increase is unclear, West sees issues like open enrollment as a source of racial tension in the community and said many of the concerns surrounding the district’s rapidly changing student body stem more from parents than students.

“My concern is the community, the parents. That’s where I hear a lot of angst [about students open-enrolling],” said West. “That’s when I fear for my students, because parents set the agenda for their kids."

Slotterback concurred with West and said while many may anticipate racial conflicts to arise at the school as a result of such diversity, but that just isn’t the case.

“I’ve said this many times, in many situations. I’ve worked in very wealthy districts [and] in very diverse districts, with mixtures of cultures and races, and I think our kids here get along better than any place I’ve ever worked,” Slotterback said. “We have fewer fights and fewer expulsions here, and if you spend any time in our high school, it’s remarkable how well our students get along with each other.”