Rural school adapts to population with little English

Even though this school has to work hard to teach English to their students, they know how important these kids and their families are to their area. - - Donna Poisl

By Sally Holland

Columbus Junction, Iowa (CNN) -- This rural community in the southeast corner of Iowa is one of the last places you would expect to find a large number of students who don't speak English, yet English language learners have had a huge effect on the schools there, according to Columbus Community Schools Superintendent Rich Bridenstine.

Nationally, 9% of students in the U.S. are considered to have limited proficiency in English, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. About 11% of those students attend school in rural settings like Columbus Junction. A quarter of the Columbus Community School students are English language learners, a large enough number to have an impact on the classrooms.
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