Important Notice
K’LEA serves two groups of constituents. First and foremost, the partnership is dedicated to impacting the success of Latino students and their families. To achieve this goal, K’LEA seeks to develop tools and resources for the second group of constituents: current and future partner organizations, institutions and leaders placed in positions of service or policy creation that affect Latino student success.
In the last decade there has been a rapid increase in Kentucky’s Latino population, mostly seen in the K’LEA service region, the Lexington-Louisville corridor. According to the Living Cities Census Series (Brookings Institute), Lexington ranks second in a list of the 100 largest U.S. cities with Latino population change from 2000 to 2007. Results from the recent 2010 U.S. Census show that Lexington’s Latino population more than doubled in the 2000-2010 decade. This growth is evident in the Lexington/Fayette County schools where K-5 Latino enrollment is more than double that of the middle and high schools. Louisville is also included in the Brookings list, ranking 46th with a 27.6% increase in its Latino population. The 12 counties that make up the K’LEA service region (highlighted region in map below), including the two largest cities of Lexington and Louisville, are home to 52.8% of Kentucky’s Latino population. The region also includes the two largest school districts which collectively educate 41.2% of the state’s Latino students.
The partnership includes committed involvement of the state’s leading and largest universities and community colleges, located in the Lexington-Louisville corridor, as well as the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), the key higher education authority that serves to establish policy for all of Kentucky’s regional universities and colleges. Expanding upon this premium collection of agencies and institutions, the alliance includes K-12 schools and school district representatives, the state’s leading experts in financial aid and Latino advocacy, as well as policy makers, professional organizations and employers, all championing Latino student success.
Assistant Manager, Village Branch Lexington Public Library Rmontano-smith@lexpublib.org
Director: Office of Cultural Diversity Jefferson Community and Technical College Janet.muller@kctcs.edu
Executive Director Americana Community Center edgardo@americanacc.org
Teacher Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School Sharessa.crovo@fayette.kyschools.us
Education Empowerment Coordinator Kentucky Dream Coalition Gfby03@hotmail.com
Chief Diversity Officer Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education Rana.johnson@ky.gov
Program Coordinator, Cultural Center University of Louisville lyorte01@louisville.edu
Central Kentucky Outreach Counselor Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority sgortney@kheaa.com
Attendance is mandatory of all sub-grant recipients and strongly recommended by all partners. Meetings will provide professional development and capacity/resource building opportunities for greater Latino Student Success efforts.