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Language access and transportation top barriers to parent participation, panel says
Summary
Parents told the board that language barriers, lack of clear enrollment information and transport problems limit participation; they proposed interpreters, outreach calls and possibly transportation supports to increase attendance.
Parents and staff described recurrent obstacles to engaging families: difficulty understanding district processes in a non-native language, not knowing who to contact at a school and lack of transportation to attend meetings or workshops.
A parent described initial experiences when children entered the district: "Al ingresar yo a las oficinas no se me brindó información, solo lo necesario para inscribir a mis hijos," the parent said, stressing the need for more proactive outreach and interpretation. Panelists noted that facilitators and coordinators often bridge these gaps, but recommended the district consider additional supports such as transportation to selected workshops and clearer, school-level contact lists.
Speakers suggested outreach strategies such as targeted phone calls to parents, leadership institutes and school-hosted events during non-work hours to include caregivers who cannot attend daytime meetings. The panel also urged the district to publicize facilitator contacts so families know who to call for help navigating school services.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and said staff will take the recommendations under advisement.
