City Council to Consider Refugee Needs

None by KCPW

Meeting Tonight in District 4

(KCPW News) More than 700 refugee children are enrolled in the Salt Lake City School District, and Councilwoman Nancy Saxton is concerned that the city is not doing its part to help those students and the schools serving them:

"The school district seems to kind of be doing this singlehandedly," says Saxton. "And this is a problem the city needs to understand and put sources towards."

The refugee students in the Salt Lake District come from more than 40 countries and speak over 50 different languages. Saxton wants the City Council to consider offering money to groups that help refugees assimilate and suggests the city become a clearinghouse for refugee resources.

A handful of school officials and refugee service groups will speak at the City Council meeting tonight at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held in Saxton's District 4 at Patrick Moore Gallery downtown. The first 30 minutes of the meeting will be dedicated to taking public comment.

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