RSU 5 board hears pleas to keep full‑time high school ESOL teacher as district projects lower multilingual enrollment

Freeport — The RSU 5 board of directors heard more than an hour of public comment and staff analysis on Feb. 5 as the district proposed eliminating one of three ESOL positions for the 2025–26 school year, a recommendation driven by declining multilingual‑learner enrollment.

Parents, teachers and students told the board that a full‑time ESOL teacher at Freeport High School provides academic, social and emotional support that testing numbers do not capture. “Multi language programs are a powerful asset in a school, in any school,” parent Stephanie Lutinke Sarris said, calling the program “a blessing” for families new to the United States.

The board’s instructional staff presented enrollment data and scheduling options. Instructional support lead Alicia (last name not provided) told the board the district’s October 1 count for the current year showed 46 multilingual learners and that the projected October 1 count for next year is 37. She said some students now on the roster may be placed on “monitor/exit” status after the spring WIDA testing, which could reduce the number further to about 31. Based on those projections, the administration said the district can meet legal requirements and students’ services with two ESOL teachers next year by sharing teachers across buildings and scheduling service blocks at the high school and elementary schools.

Why it matters: Families and educators said those numeric projections understate the day‑to‑day needs at the high school, where academic language demands and complex class scheduling make coordinated, in‑person ESOL support especially important before graduation. Liz Pierce, who identified herself as a Freeport High School counselor, told the board that a WIDA composite score at or above the proficiency threshold does not always mean a student can access the higher‑level academic language required in senior‑level courses.

What the board heard and discussed - Parents and teachers described the ESOL teacher at Freeport High School as a central, visible resource for students and families; multiple speakers said the teacher’s presence improved classroom participation, lowered dropout risk and provided essential coordination with classroom teachers and families. Rebecca Peterson, an English teacher, described how a full‑time ESOL teacher allowed multilingual learners to “find their voices” and improved engagement for all students. - Staff presented a historical overview of multilingual‑learner counts: small numbers in 2017–2020; a rise to 101 in 2022–23 (with three full‑time positions and split positions then in use); 46 students as of Oct. 1 this year with three full‑time ESOL teachers currently on staff; and a projected 37 for next year. Alicia emphasized that the projections do not yet reflect WIDA results due in May. - The administration proposed that, if the board adopts the staff recommendation, the high school and middle school would share one teacher (with the teacher predominantly based at the high school) while the second teacher would cover elementary schools. Administrators said scheduling could place ESOL service blocks in students’ schedules so students would receive a consistent number of service minutes aligned with their class structure.

Legal and program context - Public commenters cited federal civil‑rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, as reasons to maintain robust multilingual services. The administration referenced the district’s Lau Plan (district English learner plan) and the WIDA/ACCESS testing system used to determine proficiency and monitor exit status. Staff said the district follows the plan adopted by the board (last updated in January 2023) for placement and monitoring decisions.

Staff concerns and clarifications - Administrators told the board that not all students classified as proficient on WIDA can access the same level of academic language in high‑school coursework and that scheduling decisions must consider students’ developmental levels and individual service needs. They also explained that monitor status (students who no longer receive direct pull‑out services) still requires teacher oversight through consultations with classroom teachers. - Several speakers noted that a reduction in positions would not only change service minutes but would affect relationships, outreach to families and teachers’ on‑the‑ground professional development.

No final board decision at meeting; follow‑up requested - Board members asked for additional, school‑level detail on the current year’s multilingual‑learner distribution, monitor counts and how a two‑teacher model would be scheduled across buildings. Administrators agreed to provide a visual breakdown for the next meeting, including where current ESOL staff spend time and how services could be allocated in a two‑teacher scenario. - Several board members expressed the difficulty of balancing budget constraints against equity and student support goals; administrators noted the district will have WIDA results in May that will clarify levels of need before final budget decisions.

Ending note: multiple ESOL teachers and students asked the board to visit classrooms and meet with staff before making a final staffing decision. The administration repeated that, based on the current projections and the district’s placement rules, two ESOL teachers could meet required services but that final scheduling and service levels would depend on this year’s spring assessment results.