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White students in Utah's public schools have become less isolated from minority students in the past 12 years, according to a new report by the Pew Hispanic Center.

The report, "The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of U.S. Public Schools," shows the percentage of white students in Utah attending all-white schools decreased more than any other state in the nation - from 51 percent in 1993-94 to 14 percent in 2005-06.

"This does verify what we have seen in the past 10 years, especially with Hispanics becoming the second-largest ethnic group," said Richard Gomez, educational equity coordinator for the Utah Office of Education.

While white students have become less isolated from minority groups, black and Latino students at the same time have become slightly more isolated from white students, the report shows, because schools with a lot of minority students now have even more.

The trends coincide because the overall Latino public school population has grown 55 percent since 1993-94.

In Utah specifically, the increase can be attributed to people moving into Utah to take advantage of the state's strong labor market, Gomez said.

"The job opportunities that are attracting this immigration are all over the state. It's not just agriculture anymore, it's manufacturing, home building and the service industry, etc.," Gomez said.

Places that previously would have been thought of as predominantly white - Park City is one example - are therefore being affected as never before.

Changing demographics present a challenge for schools because some have proven ill-equipped to meet all students' needs. Utah schools now, for example, serve about 50,000 students who do not speak English as their first language.

Challenges aside, Gomez said exposure to diversity is positive.

"The world is not predominantly white," he said. "When students are exposed to the culture and language of ethnic minorities, it's a healthy thing because once they move out, they'll be facing a world that is more diverse than their communities."

Report highlights

* Latinos in 2005-06 accounted for 19.8 percent of all public school students, up from 12.7 percent in 1993-94.

* Black student enrollment rose from 17.2 percent in 2005-06 from 16.5 percent in 1993-94.

* White students in public schools went from 66.1 percent in 1993-94 to 57.1 percent in 2005-06.