Although it has been rumored that Morgan County will be deluged with refugees from Somali and Iraq, only 1 percent of the estimated 11 million refugees make Morgan County, Colorado their home.

Nevertheless, refugee children who enter school in Morgan County are at a disadvantage because they don't understand English and there are very few interpreters in the area to help. Those interpreters that do reside in town are very busy with the numerous agencies they assist.

Assistant Superintendent Joy Perry has stated that getting funding for interpreters is difficult because it is based on the student-teacher ratio. In addition, Perry noted that the district needs to have communication in various languages for certain things such as parent-teacher conferences and district letters.

To facilitate this need, many in the community believe that other agencies within the district must pool funding to pay for full-time interpreter services, which are sorely needed in the area.

29 September 2008