Educators will gather at the San Diego County Office of Education next week for a two-day conference focused on one of the region's fastest-growing student populations: kids who recently arrived in the United States. The Southern California Newcomer Education Conference runs Nov. 12 and Nov. 13, and it's designed to help educators support students who are new to the U.S.
The gathering is organized by the San Diego County Office of Education
, which announced the event on social media and says it's meant to give educators a chance to grow their skills in support of students who are new to the U.S. The conference reflects SDCOE's stated vision of “A bright future for every child.” The conference brings educators together to discuss newcomer education.
Newcomer students come from various countries. SDCOE states plainly that every child in California has a constitutional right to a high-quality education regardless of immigration status.
What's on the Agenda
The conference will include school-site visits and opportunities to share information about supporting newcomer students.
Efraín Tovar, who teaches in Selma and created the California Newcomer Network in 2021, is listed among attendees. He previously hosted 30 teachers, counselors and administrators from across the state in his own classroom for what Alta Journal described as the first-ever California newcomer summit.
Funding and Local Support Programs
The CalNEW program focuses on enrolling newcomer students and supporting their families. San Diego Unified, Cajon Valley Union and Grossmont Union High all received CalNEW grant funding between 2021 and 2024 — awards that totaled $1.2 million, $1.8 million and roughly $711,000, respectively, according to inewsource. Cajon Valley's services have included home visits, welcome meetings for newcomers, a sports and STEM education program, and counseling for refugee students, the outlet reported.
Those investments have come as local newcomer enrollment has climbed. Roughly 6% of San Diego Unified students — about 5,700 kids — were newcomers in the 2023-24 school year, and about half of them had enrolled within that same year, per the same inewsource report. Poway Unified and Chula Vista Elementary each reported newcomer enrollment increases that year too, up about 10% and 5%, respectively, compared with the previous year.
A Statewide Picture That's Shifting
Zoom out to the state level, though, and the trend looks different. Statewide newcomer enrollment hit a record high of 236,958 students in 2024-25 before falling to 228,780 in 2025-26, according to the Times of San Diego. The decline has been especially steep in Los Angeles Unified, where newcomer enrollment dropped from 20,755 students in 2024-25 to 11,103 in 2026-27, the outlet reported. Oakland Unified's footprint has shrunk too — the district ran newcomer programs at 17 middle and high schools the prior year but has them at just six schools this year.
A separate Newcomer Network Conference has also focused on the needs of newcomer students.
The Southern California Newcomer Education Conference at SDCOE is scheduled for Nov. 12-13.
