For this first time this fall, minority students will outnumber white students in U.S. public schools. 

The jump in minority students is largely due to the growth in the Latino population. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, while non-Hispanic white students will still be the largest racial group attending public schools at nearly 49.8 percent, when added together minority students will comprise the majority. 

About 25 percent of minority students are Latino, 15 percent are black and 5 percent are Asian or Pacific Islanders. Biracial students and Native Americans make up the smallest portion of minority students. 

Due to the high number of minority students in schools, more than 1 in 5 speak a language other than English at home. 

"We can't talk about other people's children. These are our children," Education Secretary Arne Duncan told the Associated Press.

The changing face of student demographics signals the need for more English language instruction, as well as cultural changes like curriculum reforms and changes to school menus to accommodate for specific tastes. 

Yet, educators have major concerns about schools with more minority children than white children. Schools with high numbers of minority children are more segregated because of housing demographics, with minority students attending schools that have less advanced classes, more violence and therefore more rigid discipline. About one-quarter of Hispanics and blacks live below the poverty line, reflecting a wide disparity between minority students and non-Hispanic Caucasian students. 

The shift in demographics brings up questions of poverty, as well as immigration, diversity and academic and economic inequalities. 

The shift also raises concerns about the issue of ethnic and racial tensions. 

In Louisiana this July, administrators from Jefferson Parish public school reached an agreement with federal investigators to end an investigation into allegations of discrimination against students just learning English. 

Also, this past May, police had to break up a fight between Hispanic and black students in a suburb of Chicago after a racially motivated argument at lunch got out of hand. 

In the Kennett Consolidated School District in Pennsylvania, Superintendent Barry Tomasetti said that racism can be more subtle. Some parents choose to send children to schools in Delaware after seeing the diversity of students in the district's classrooms. However, he said that some families seek out the diverse district so their children are exposed to diversity. 

The district, which is located southwest of Philadelphia, changed from mostly middle- to upper-class white residents to about 40 percent Hispanic because of workers migrating from Mexico. 

"We like our diversity," Tomasetti said. But he did acknowledge that more English language instructors are needed, as well as translators. 

Private schools are also seeing more Hispanic students and fewer white students in classrooms. 

The change in school classrooms reflects a broader statistic: the Census Bureau estimates that the country will be a majority-minority country by 2043 due to higher birth rates among Hispanics and fewer births among whites, blacks and Asians. 

Due to the high rate of poverty among blacks and Hispanics, the school-age population is becoming poorer. In addition, many Hispanics living below the poverty line are struggling with an undocumented status or having a parent who is in the country illegally. 

Educators will need to focus on nutrition and safety, in addition to a stronger curriculum. 

Some schools host inclusive events such as dances and socials to get different ethnic groups to come together in a social setting. 

Some schools are also seeking more minority teachers to reflect the changing population. Currently, only one in five teachers is a minority.  

"It is an ongoing challenge to try and make our teacher population reflect our student population," Steve Saunders, spokesman for the Adams County, Colorado, school district outside Denver, told AP. 

The New America Foundation reports that teacher prep programs have at least one class that focuses on working with non-native English speakers, in addition to educational programs that feature bilingual exercises.