By Michael Bielawski
An influx of Afghan students is making up a substantial percentage of new Montpelier public school students for the coming school year – especially in the younger grades – as reported in the July 10 Montpelier Bridge. These are resettled refugees via the state’s resettlement program.
During the June 26 city council meeting the mayor, Jack McCullough, noted that he had recently met with members of the Vermont Afghan Alliance. He shared that there are now 40-to-50 Afghan students in the Montpelier school system, including about 5% of all kindergarten students.
The move is being billed as “Boosting Montpelier’s Declining Student Count,” according to the headline in the capitol city’s community newspaper.
The report notes that there had been a dip in enrollment in Montpelier’s schools over recent years, with the total count falling to 1,063 for the 2023-2024 school year, down from 1,146 which they had for the 2021-2022 year. Now they are scheduled to have 1,185 when school opens again.
How did they get here?
The Afghan refugees arrived here over the years via the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). According to a 2021 presser by Gov. Phil Scott, this is “a national nonprofit resettlement agency that assists people who have migrated to the U.S. to help them live safe and dignified lives.”
It continues that some may have arrived in the summer of 2021. It states, “USCRI’s Vermont Office, Governor Scott, the State Refugee Office at the Vermont Agency of Human Services, and other refugee programs have been pursuing opportunities to welcome refugees over the last several weeks.”
It further notes that some of these refugees may have been specific targets by hostile forces in their home nations. The release states, “The goal is to accommodate some of the many Afghans who are being targeted due to support of the U.S. military and U.S. government agencies, as well as media and non-governmental organizations, following the end of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan.”
The governor is quoted stating “We have a moral obligation to help the people of Afghanistan, who did so much to help us in the War on Terror.”
Vermont 2nd least diverse state, but changing
According to a U.S. Census Bureau 2021 report, Vermont is the “Second whitest state in the nation” but that is changing, even apart from the arrival of Afghan refugees. “The data showed the Hispanic population in Vermont grew by 68.4%, about 6,300 people, between 2010 and 2020, the third-largest percentage increase in the country,” WCAX wrote.
Already under stress
According to a report by Penn State’s Department of Geography, people who come to the U.S. under asylum or refugee status may have a hard time adjusting.
It states, “Refugees and asylum seekers are typically already under stress; however, they also experience ‘anxiety and depression’ (Strang & Quinn, 2019). While these stressors differ from other immigrants, some may be similar, such as the potential of difficulty communicating due to different language or culture. Even the label ‘refugee’ can be difficult, due to the unintended drawbacks that come with the label’s status.”
According to a report by Business Insider, there are public costs associated with bringing over refugees. It states, “On average, it costs about $15,000 to help settle a refugee, including both initial background checks as well as job and English training once they arrive.”
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle