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Board reviews proposal for language-line pilot to support multilingual families
Summary
Staff proposed a six‑month language-line pilot to help enroll and communicate with families in more than 400 languages; staff estimated a conservative pilot budget under $6,000 and will pursue possible parent‑engagement funds and confirm compliance with Title III audit findings.
District staff presented a proposal to pilot a commercial language‑line service to assist families for enrollment, parent communication and Title III compliance.
A staff member said the recommended vendor provides 24/7 interpretation in more than 400 languages and is billed by usage; the pilot described in the meeting was a six‑month subscription with staff estimating a not‑to‑exceed figure of $6,000 but indicating the district could run a smaller pilot. Staff cited a per‑minute usage model (examples given in the presentation were in the range of cents per minute) and said Spanish interpretation tends to be slightly more expensive than some other languages.
Board members asked whether parent‑engagement funds (the small 1% set aside for parent involvement) could cover some usage for events; staff said they would investigate that option and confirm whether the Title III audit required specific corrective action that made a language‑line subscription necessary for compliance. No formal budget action was taken at this meeting.
Staff said they would return with details on projected minutes, specific pilot scope (which schools or departments would get access) and any possible cross‑funding from parental involvement or other grants. The presenter recommended starting with a narrowly scoped pilot (enrollment and a limited number of schools) to measure demand before committing to a larger subscription.
