HAINES CITY, Fla. — Just over 1,000 students in Puerto Rico who migrated to Florida following Hurricane Maria in 2017 enrolled in Polk County Public Schools. Half of that number returned to Polk schools for the 2018-2019 school year, according to district spokesman Jason Geary.
- Students who remain have options for graduation
- Graduates can choose to obtain Puerto Rican high school diploma or,
- Complete same coursework plus standardized tests to obtain Florida HS diploma
The choice to stay in Florida or return to the island to resume pursuing studies there has been a difficult one for some of those students and their families.
Anyshka Cirino, 14, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico is one of them. Her home in Puerto Rico received some flooding, and the power was out until April.
But those weren't the main reasons her family fled the island.
“My dad lost the job,” Cirino said.
Her dad was the family's breadwinner. When he lost his job, the family relocated to the Haines City area in November.
There are a few things Cirino likes about her Haines City High School, such as the air conditioning, lockers, and the ability to wear regular clothes instead of a uniform.
However, her struggles with English are the main reason she wants to return.
“It’s very hard. To me, it’s hard,” Cirino said.
Her family is thinking of getting a house. She said she’s hoping they let her return to Puerto Rico to live with grandparents.
Meanwhile, Cirino’s friend, Lara Rodriguez Rojas, said she plans on staying in Florida to pursue a career in forensics. But the transition has been just as rough for her.
“I’m very sad because I’m leaving my family, my father,” said Rojas.
She came to Haines City in August with her mother and sister. Her father stayed behind in Puerto Rico because he was able to keep his job.
Helping with the transition
Their teacher, Alexsayra Padilla, was hired in February to help the evacuees.
“I receive these students who are emotionally shaken. They left their family members, their friends, their communities,” said Alexsayra Padilla.
She helps the students understand their coursework from other classes, which are conducted in English, and strives to improve their vocabulary. She said a big part of her job is boosting her students' self-esteem.
“They feel a little bit judged if they mispronounce a word or they make a mistake,” Padilla said. “I work with their confidence a lot.”
Haines City High School Principal Adam Lane said the students have two options when it comes to graduating from Haines City High School. They can complete their coursework in Florida and receive a Puerto Rican high school diploma, or they can complete their coursework as well as pass the FSA/ELA Reading, Algebra 1 EOC, or PERT or ACT and SAT to receive a State of Florida High School diploma.
“I can’t imagine going to another country not knowing the language and trying to learn and finish coursework and pass standardized tests, but you know, we do offer them small group testing," Lane explained. "We do offer them a dictionary for translation. We offer them extended time. We do everything we can to stay within our limits, but to provide them every opportunity we can."
In all, 72 Puerto Rican hurricane evacuees came to Haines City High during the 2017-2018 school year. 40 returned the following year.
Lane said nine graduated last year, and seven of them received a State of Florida High School diploma.