We have to address the growth. Equally as important is college readiness for our average student population.

It's exciting to see that educators are actually helping a bigger segment of a bigger population learn at the college level, We cannot rest in our quest to expand these opportunities until students ... are equitably represented.

Immigration is one of the leading contributors to population growth.

Our population continues to grow, so we have had to add positions to handle that growth,

Our population growth is still showing 2 percent, so our demand is going to be better than most places. There are no labor problems, such as mills closing, so our economic base is stable.

I think we have all known that we were having growth in the Hispanic population. We have known it through the school population. I didn't realize it was that high.