To many people ethnic diversity is an important aspect of schools’ student bodies. The diversity can change the environment of a school and affect how accepted a student can feel in their school.
According to US News Education, Skyline’s ethnic diversity is 78.9% White, 7.3% two or more other races, 6.6% Hispanic, 6.0% Asian, 0.6% Black, and 0.5% Native Hawaiian.
West High School is the most diverse public school in Utah, while Skyline stands at number 148.
According to US News Education, West High School’s ethnic diversity is 26.8% is White, 46.7% Hispanic, 5.1% two or more races, 7.3% Asian, 8.0% Native Hawaiian, and 4.8% Black.
Isabelle Pitcher, a Senior at Skyline High School, said, [in reference to WIDA testing], “I feel like they make it seem like there’s a big gap in between us. ‘Oh, like you’re not from here so you need to prove that you can speak English or prove you’re capable of taking these classes and being in them.’ I think Skyline does appreciate diversity, though.”
Jaylah Badillo, a Freshman at Cottonwood who used to go to Skyline High School, said that the ethnic diversity felt different between Cottonwood and Skyline. “Cottonwood felt a lot more accepting, and welcoming. It felt different, but in a good way,” Badillo said.
Cottonwood is the second most ethnically diverse school in Utah. According to US News Education, Cottonwood’s diversity is 45.8% White, 33.5% Hispanic, 6.2% Black, 5.2% Asian, and 6.7% two or more races.
Badillo also said she feels like there are groups at Skyline that split people up. Pitcher said something similar: “It feels like there’s these invisible groups of, like, people who are […] different.”
Badillo said that she thinks having more or less diversity affects schools and that Cottonwood having more diversity made the community felt different. She said, “If we’re talking about the community, people at Cottonwood were a lot more nice and welcoming, especially on my first day, but I mean everyone’s still really nice.” She also added that she felt the community at Skyline wasn’t as welcoming as Cottonwood.
Pitcher, though, said she thinks that Skyline does have an uplifting atmosphere and community. “I think that Skyline does have a positive environment; they do have some diversity, and I think that they try to appreciate it,” she explained.
Pitcher also added how having more diversity in schools could help schools: “I feel like it’s healthier for students to get exposure to these different cultures and help them understand people more.”
