Alhambra : School Demographics Study

Although more than 50% of Alhambra public school students are Asian-American, less than one-fifth of the school district’s staff is of Asian descent, a new study shows.

A district report issued last week shows that about 18% of the 3,814 Alhambra Unified School District employees are Asian-American, compared to more than half of the system’s 20,729 students. The Asian-American percentage populations of Alhambra and San Gabriel, where most of students live, are 37% and 31.9% respectively.

Latinos make up 32% of the district’s employees, while whites constitute 47.4% and blacks 1.9%.

Supt. Heber Meeks said the district has made progress in recruiting an additional 63 Asian-American staff members since 1985.

“We’re on track with our goals of trying to get as many minority and bilingual staff as possible,” he said.

Meeks said part of the recruiting problem is that only in recent years have the children of first-generation Asian-Americans finished college and become available to teach.

“We need role models for all our students,” he said.

The district has only one Asian-American high school administrator, John Gao, dean of students at Alhambra High School.

Asian-Americans account for a little more than 10% of those in administration.

A 17-member affirmative-action committee formed early this year in response to community concerns about racial tensions at the school sites will meet this summer to set goals for recruiting.