The Hispanic population has been the largest-growing segment of the population in Austin for the past few years, and Southwest Austin is seeing that growth in action, city of Austin Demographer Ryan Robinson said. He said a large number of middle-class Hispanic families are moving to suburbs such as the Southwest Austin area south of Hwy. 71, west of I-35, north of FM 1626 and east of FM 1826 rather than Central Austin. "The overall level of residential segregation for middle-class and upper-middle-class Hispanics is probably at an all-time low," he said. The Hispanic share of Austin City Council District 8, which includes Oak Hill neighborhoods, grew from about 15 percent in 2000 to 18.5 percent in 2010, Robinson said. "Now, probably one in five individuals [in District 8 is Hispanic.] And so I think that's telling," he said. About 30 percent of Austin City Council District 5 in Southwest Austin is Hispanic. In nearby districts 2 and 3, Hispanic populations are greater than 60 percent, with large concentrations of Hispanic residents east of I-35, Robinson said. More and more Hispanic professionals are looking to Austin as a hub for traditional Hispanic-owned businesses such as restaurants as well as options in more high-growth industries such as technology, said Mark Madrid, president and CEO of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "We are still on the heels of recovery from the recession, so all this is going to impact the Hispanic community, the children in our schools and the cultivation of Hispanic leadership. But it's also going to affect our economy," Madrid said. The future of Austin Surveys show the majority of residents younger than age 18 in Austin are Hispanic, Robinson said, noting that majority has remained the case since about 2009. "This growth has been nothing short of phenomenal," Robinson said. In the next 20 years the Hispanic population could go from being a minority to being a plurality in Austin—not a majority, but close to 50 percent of the population, he said. Strong schools are among factors drawing Hispanic residents to Southwest Austin, but lack of affordable family housing may push residents further outward, Robinson said. "I think what we are experiencing is a collapse of affordability in this city," Robinson said. "As affordability becomes a bigger and bigger issue, a bigger and bigger obstacle to living in the central city, that is indeed affecting some of our working-class Hispanic households," he said. Austin's poverty rate for 2012-13 dropped by about 3 percentage points because Austin is displacing its poorest residents to other areas, he said. Robinson said he would not call Southwest Austin "affordable," citing high home prices in Circle C in District 8 as well as in neighboring districts. "I think the housing is [also] becoming more expensive in District 5, and that's going to be a challenge for not just Hispanic families, but any young families." At a March 30 Austin ISD board of trustees meeting, trustee Paul Saldaa pointed out that 15 years ago Latino students made up 45 percent of the school district's student population—children who live within AISD's attendance zone. "Today, Latino students make up 60 percent of our student population, and limited English proficient students make up now almost 30 percent of our student population," Saldaa said. Saldaa urged moving forward with a district self-assessment on equity, diversity and inclusion during the March 30 meeting. AISD is also in the process of rolling out an extension of its dual-language program to middle schools, and some trustees have said dual-language programs could help attract and retain families in the district, which has seen significant enrollment declines for the past three years. Spanish is the first language of more than 90 percent of AISD's 23,000 English Language Learners, or ELL, students, said Olivia Hernndez, bilingual director for AISD's department of ELL. AISD launched dual-language programs in 2010 in elementary schools. Starting with the 2015-16 school year, four middle schools will add dual-language, including Paredes Middle School at 10100 S. Mary Moore Searight Drive. Schools were chosen based on several factors, Hernndez said. "One of our challenges is to retain our bilingual teachers and recruit more bilingual teachers," she said. As AISD is hiring teachers, the district is now looking for candidates who have bilingual certification because they could potentially teach some classes in Spanish, she said. "We want to set the baseline in 2015-16," she said. It costs more money to educate ELL students, and AISD receives federal and state funding to bridge that gap, she said. Austin's Hispanic population is not monolithic, as it includes Mexican, Central American and South American influences among those in the population, Madrid said. In 2014 the GAHCC released its Hispanic Business Research Study data, he said. "We have a projection through our study that there could be upwards of 50,000 Hispanic-owned businesses by 2020 in the [five-county] area," Madrid said. In early 2015 the GAHCC launched Small Biz U, an educational event for entrepreneurs and small-business owners. Madrid said AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz is the district's first Latino superintendent, and there are three Hispanic Austin City Council members. "Things are changing," Madrid said. "I think you see that pace accelerated here. ... We want Austin to be a go-to place not only because more people are moving here than any other place in the country, but because there are opportunities here."