ISD 196 adopts language access plan; district says services already in use at schools

The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School Board adopted the district's language access plan on Jan. 13, formalizing translation and interpretation services administrators said already operate in every school.

"Our school district speaks your language," multilingual communications specialist Jenne d'Canino told the board during a presentation that included examples from elementary and high schools. District staff cited three core data points: more than 120 home languages spoken in the district, nearly 3,100 students receiving English language development services and more than 67,000 minutes of on-demand phone and video interpretation used this year.

The plan documents standard operating procedures, staff training expectations, and tools the district will use to inform families about available services. Janet Swachikowski, who joined the presentation, said the plan will be posted on the district website and the district will begin a public rollout and staff training immediately.

School leaders described operational examples. Donzel Dixon, assistant administrator at Greenleaf Elementary, said front-office staff regularly use an over-the-phone interpreter app and that pre-prepared packets in Somali and Spanish are provided to families. "It's not an if. It's always a when," Dixon said of translated materials, describing staff practice of asking when materials will be translated.

EchoPark Principal Logan Schultz described student-led multilingual announcements and said his staff logged 11,483 minutes of on-demand interpreting use between January 2024 and January 2025. Apple Valley assistant principal Bill Blatsheim said the addition of on-demand interpreting to in-person interpreters expanded language coverage beyond Spanish and Somali to many other languages and reduced scheduling bottlenecks at conferences.

Board members asked about rollout and accessibility for specific venues. Administration said the web page and public-facing videos (already translated into Spanish and Somali) are ready to post and that the district will continue targeted outreach to families, including advance requests for interpreters at site council and community listening sessions. The plan also requires a formal review every two years; administration said it will return with a progress report in 2027.

The board adopted the plan unanimously, 5-0. District officials emphasized that implementation is already underway in schools and that the formal plan documents and standardizes existing practice.

Ending: The district said resources such as headsets for real-time translation and video-interpretation apps are in place and will be made available to schools and families; the plan's public posting will include guidance on requesting translation or interpreting services.