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District migrant advocates detail services for about 540 students
Summary
District migrant advocates told the Somerton Elementary District board that about 540 students are enrolled in the migrant program and outlined academic and non-instructional supports, including 21st Century classes, Saturday sessions and parent advisory work.
Jessica Martinez, a migrant advocate, told the Somerton Elementary District board the district currently serves about 540 migrant students and described efforts to meet state program targets and extend services to younger children.
The presentation, introduced by Miss Rodriguez van, director of federal programs, said the district must provide reading and mathematics services to roughly 25% of migrant students and currently identifies about 69 children ages 3–5 for outreach. "We have currently 540 students that are migrant in our district," Martinez said, and the district is using 21st Century sites and targeted classes to reach students who need extra instructional time.
Advocates described program delivery and outreach. Saturday and extended-day sessions, an invited 21st Century migrant class at four sites and a planned Saturday program at additional schools were cited as ways to expand access. "We're always being very creative," Martinez said, describing site-specific strategies and summer programming that included multi-district trips and enrichment activities.
Sandra Mag, another migrant advocate, described non-instructional supports that the program provides, including "student chats" during lunch, parent communication through ClassDojo, home visits, attendance follow-ups, transportation assistance, eye-care referrals and material supports. She gave an example of arranging transportation when a migrant parent could not pick up a child and obtaining parental consent for a special transfer.
Family engagement was emphasized. Presenters said the district convenes a parent advisory council (paralleling PTO structures), participates in state-level parent advisory activities and is launching a "cafesito" on Sept. 24 to engage families and surface needs. Presenters said parents from the district now serve as state-level representatives and are active in outreach, online presence and coordination with universities for parent training.
The board heard that the number of migrant students fluctuates week to week, and presenters said they run periodic data pulls (DIBBLES, Galileo and other assessments) and follow-up cycles every four weeks to flag students needing additional services. Board members and staff praised the advocates' rapid problem-solving and family outreach.
The presentation closed with trustees thanking the advocates for their work; no formal board action was recorded on this item.
