Displaced students from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico who fled their homes after multiple hurricanes this summer have sought refuge in other parts of the nation, including Jamestown.

Twenty-six displaced students are currently attending school in the Jamestown Public Schools District, and Superintendent Bret Apthorpe expects more could arrive.

“What I am hearing and reading is that there will probably be more to come,” Apthorpe said. “We’re not past this phase.”

The New York State Board of Regents in October released a report to all schools in the state advising them on students impacted by the hurricanes. The state also ensured that each students fleeing the disasters were covered under the McKinney-Vento Act that protects homeless students.

Apthorpe said the schools aren’t having problem finding space for the displaced students in the classroom, but if more keep coming they will be challenged.

Many of the students coming require an English as a New Language (ENL) teacher. Currently, Apthorpe said there a shortage of those particular teachers in the state.

While Jamestown Public Schools isn’t short on ENL teachers now, if more displaced students are relocated to the district, the staff will have to spread their hours with each student thinner, Apthorpe said.

“Right now, we’re OK,” Apthorpe said. “The big question is, what’s the future hold?”

The displaced students are currently spread out from Pre-K and 12th grade. Apthorpe said ENL teachers typically implement two different procedures in school called “push in” and “pull out.” With “push in,” ENL teachers assist students in a particular class. With “pull out,” the students are brought out of the classroom and into a separate room where they are assisted with their work.

He said if the students keep coming in, the teacher on student time will be limited, if no other teachers are hired.