Collinsville school district officials are looking for ways to increase the graduation rate of the district's Hispanic population.

In 2009, 75.6 percent of Hispanic students in the district graduated. Statewide, the Hispanic graduation rate was 79.4 percent and nationally, it was 82.4 percent for that same year, the most recent period from which data is available.

Superintendent Bob Green said the district is considering an outreach program to the Hispanic community, before- and after-school programs and special summer sessions to address the disparity.

"We're looking at some programs that have been implemented in other districts with success," Green said. "We hope to implement an outreach program for all of our schools, to all our communities and various subgroups, with the idea of working with parents to get ideas for academic support at home."

Green said he would not provide specifics on the programs because they are still in the planning stages.

"I'm just coming on board and have been looking at our test scores and graduation rates," said Green, who became the superintendent July 1. "We're trying to put together a system looking at data to figure out how do we address those problems. It's not an easy fix, or a quick fix."

The school district's Hispanic population increased significantly in 2009 when the student population from Fairmont City was annexed into the Collinsville School District. More than 85 percent of Fairmont City residents are Hispanic and one-third of the village's population was born outside of the United States, according to the U.S. Census. The 2010 school report card states that 14.7 percent of the school district is comprised of Hispanic students.

Collinsville's English Language Learners program Director Vicki Reulecke said the district has increased its staff of bilingual teachers and translators by almost two-thirds since the addition of Fairmont City students. The district employed four bilingual teachers and one translator in the 2007-2008 school year; nine bilingual teachers in the 2009-2010 school year; and currently has 11 bilingual teachers and four translators.

"Ten years ago, the Hispanic population was pretty static," Reulecke said. "But then we had that big jump in numbers and now we're catching up."

In addition to language, Green said, poverty can also serve as a roadblock to student success.

"Poverty is kind of a universal problem that gets in the way of a lot of things," he said. "If times are tough at home, obviously academics might not be the first thing that gets (parents') attention. We want to figure out a way to help in that regard and be a bridge to help people understand the importance of education in breaking that poverty cycle."

Contact reporter Ramona C. Sanders at 618-344-0264, ext. 136