Boston schools challenged by shifting ethnic mix

The Boston Globe reports:

For the first time, Latinos this year have edged out their African-American peers as the largest segment of students in Boston public schools, underscoring the challenge to a school system where Latino students often lag far behind on graduation rates and standardized tests.

In the district's annual student head count, Latinos accounted for 38.1 percent of all students, surpassing African-Americans, who comprise 37.9 percent of the student body, according to data posted on the state's education website. The change follows decades of steady growth among Latino students and more than 10 years of declines in the percentage of African-Americans, according to state enrollment data.