Parents Urged to Help Reduce Latino School Dropouts

In a move to reduce Latino dropouts, an Orange County scholarship organization on Wednesday called for greater involvement of parents.

Serafines de Orange County, a nonprofit organization that raises college scholarship funds for Latinos, announced that it is now turning its attention to the elementary school grades. Parents must help from kindergarten upward, the organization said.

“The dropout problem does not start in high school,” said Manuel Esqueda, a retired Santa Ana bank executive who is president of Serafines de Orange County.

“The student must receive support regarding his education right from the beginning, but the schools and teachers cannot do it by themselves. They must receive the support of the parents.”

Esqueda and other Serafines officials sought the expanded involvement of Latino parents during a program Wednesday morning at Monroe Elementary School on Santa Ana’s East Central Avenue. An audience of predominantly Latino parents and children listened as Esqueda delivered a strong plea for keeping Latino youth interested in education.

“I submit to you that we of the Mexican family must become more directly involved with our schools. . . . If we allow the status quo to remain, we will be contributing toward a most difficult tomorrow for your young generation,” Esqueda said.

“We must reassure our young brothers and sisters of kindergarten age that we do care about their futures. It must be a united effort by the general public of the Latino, Mexican family.”

Esqueda said parents can help their children by talking about school with them and by reading stories to them. He also stressed discipline.

“Discipline has to be our guideline in this endeavor,” he said. “(School) discipline of our youngsters must start with the discipline by the parents.”

As part of the kickoff ceremonies for Serafines’ new anti-dropout program, the organization presented Monroe Elementary with a large picture of a happy teacher and well-behaved students working together. School Principal Thomas J. Lagano said the picture will be placed on permanent display in the school’s kindergarten area.

Santa Ana Unified School District Supt. Edward S. Krass also spoke during the program. He praised the effort being made by Serafines to reduce Latino dropouts.

Santa Ana Unified has the largest Latino enrollment in Orange County and one of the highest in the state. About 75% of the 38,500 students in Santa Ana Unified are of Latino origin, according to the most recent ethnic survey.

Systemwide, according to Assistant Supt. Anthony Dalessi, about 17% of the Santa Ana Unified students drop out before reaching high school graduation.

Dalessi said Latinos do not have a significantly higher dropout rate than other ethnic groups in the school district. But since Latinos make up 75% of the school district’s students, an effort to reduce Latino dropouts could be of great benefit to Santa Ana Unified, he said.