CHILDREN'S FLIGHT FROM JUAREZ

EL PASO TIMES: 7-4-2013 Rival drug cartels have been fighting in Juárez since 2007 with nearly 7,000 deaths. As the violence in Juárez has increased, the El Paso Independent School District has seen the largest increase citywide From 2007 to 2010, Franklin saw a 350 percent increase in students enrolled in ESL programs. The increase is the largest in the city. According to figures obtained from the Texas Education Agency's website, Franklin also had a 74 percent increase during this period in the number of students classified as LEP. A science teacher at Franklin, who asked not to be identified because he did not have authorization from school officials to talk on the record, said that he has seen these changes in his classroom. "I've seen more students who are coming into the classroom and know barely any English at all, and it is obvious that their first language is Spanish," he said. He said that since 2007 -- and especially this last school year -- it seems he has been getting more LEP students in his classes.