GRANT TO TARGET ENGLISH-LEARNING LATINO CHILDREN : $1.25 MILLION TO FUND PRESCHOOL.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

Latino children, who account for more than one-fifth of the student population in the Newhall School District, will benefit from a federal grant that comes as government statistics highlight their needs.

The five-year, $1.25 million grant intended for students learning English will be used to fund a new preschool program that will be free to families who enroll their children, said Anne Hazlett, assistant superintendent of personnel and instruction for the school district.

The district had 5,265 students in kindergarten through sixth grade as of October, the most recent count. Hazlett said 22.7 percent of those pupils - 1,195 children - are Latino.

More than half the Latino students enrolled in the district's seven schools had limited proficiency in English, she added. Project Together Everyone Achieves More will aim to improve youngsters' fluency in English.

The new preschool, to open in September, will be housed at Newhall Elementary, Hazlett said.

In a U.S. Census Bureau study released this month, Latinos were found to be the largest group of children in the country after non-Latino whites. The announcement spotlighted their urgent social and economic needs.

Twelve million Latino children live in the United States, up from 9.8 million in 1990. Latino children are more likely than whites or African-Americans to lack health insurance, drop out of school and live in poverty even when someone in the household works, federal statistics show.

In response, advocates for needy Latino children announced an aggressive strategy aimed at attracting attention to, and research on, the unique problems of Latino children.

The National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations announced the formation of six Growing Up Hispanic Policy Centers, which will gather information on the serious needs of Latino children. One center will be in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the schools in the city's Latino neighborhoods have several programs in place to address some of the needs.

The curriculum is taught in ``varying amounts'' of Spanish to those learning English, Hazlett said, adding that most bilingual students complete the transition to full instruction in English by the third or fourth grade.

Newhall, Old Orchard, Peachland and Wiley Canyon elementary schools offer language development programs with bilingual teachers and classroom aides, she said.

Meanwhile, a government-funded Head Start program is based at Old Orchard Elementary, offering health care and other services. Hundreds of Latino students take part in the free and reduced-price meals programs at district schools, Hazlett added.

Several district-sponsored after-school programs provide child care, she said.

At the county government level, community service centers offer child immunizations, dental clinics for needy patients, domestic violence intervention, food banks, housing assistance, medical referrals and job listings for adults.