As thousands of illegals enter U.S., who's stuck with the education bill?

The large numbers of unaccompanied minors who have been illegally crossing into the U.S. from Mexico in ever greater numbers have caused American schools to scramble in an attempt to provide services.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The children and teens who came across primarily in the summer months of 2014 are awaiting immigration decisions, but the Supreme Court has ruled that schools have an obligation to educate the tens of thousands of minors regardless of their immigration status while they're in the United States.

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Sussex County in Delaware is one place that has attracted a large number of immigrants because of the chicken factories and corn fields. More than a quarter of the population is Hispanic, but officials were caught off guard by the 70 new students-most of whom were from Guatemala-who enrolled last year.

A school board member with Sussex County, Donald Hattier, said that the district was given no advance warning by the federal government. They "just dropped this on us," he said.

"The kids are still coming across the border. This problem has not been solved," Hattier said.

Many of these minors have large gaps in their schooling owing to the poverty and violence in their home country. Many of the minors are living with relatives or other people they don't know.

"It's a new culture and they already feel that they are alone. ... Some of them don't have their parents here," said Alina Miron, an English language instructor at Broadmoor High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Many schools are struggling to hire enough English language instructors to teach these kids while they're in the U.S.

There are two foundations that have donated money to the Oakland Unified School District in California. The money is intended to hire a person to connect the 150 unaccompanied minors with legal and social services while in the U.S.

"We feel that we have moral obligation to serve these students as long as they are in the United States," said Troy Flint, a spokesman with the district. "Until their fate is decided, we're responsible for ensuring they get an education and we embrace that opportunity."

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