Cohoes board debates moving English-language learners from Harmony Hill back to home elementary schools

COHOES CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT — District administrators proposed at the Jan. 22 board meeting to shift most elementary English-as-a-new-language (ENL) students from a centralized program at Harmony Hill back to their home elementary schools beginning next school year.

The proposal, presented by Principal Jacqueline DeChero, follows a surge in ENL enrollment over the past three years. “As you can see, over the past 3 years, our numbers have grown substantially,” DeChero said, citing growth that moved the district from the low double digits into the 40s and “right around 60 at Harmony Hill” this year.

District officials said the aim is to place students closer to their neighborhoods and reduce the instructional strain created when a single classroom contains heavy concentrations of ENL learners. DeChero described a plan that would group the most intensive students (classified as beginner and emergent) to receive 72 minutes of ENL instruction daily, while students at higher proficiency levels would receive 36 minutes in-class and supplemental support outside the main classroom.

Why it matters: Administrators argued the home-school model would let ENL students build local peer networks and reduce long bus rides. Board members and staff warned the change affects multiple operational areas — transportation, staffing, professional development and family communication — and urged careful planning.

Key points and details - Enrollment trends: Administrators said the district saw a jump from about 21 to 43 ENL students in one year and reported roughly 60 ENL students associated with Harmony Hill at the time of the meeting. (Jacqueline DeChero, Principal) - Minutes of service: The district’s ENL schedule uses two primary service levels: 72 minutes per day for beginner/emergent students and 36 minutes per day for students needing less pull-out time. (DeChero) - Staffing: Harmony Hill was described as having two full-time ENL teachers; the middle school one ENL teacher; and the high school about 2.2 ENL full-time–equivalent positions. The plan would reallocate one Harmony Hill position to a home school, with the district evaluating additional needs as numbers change. (DeChero) - Parent outreach: The district plans to notify families ahead of a September implementation, schedule translator-supported conferences during March report-card conferences, provide written notices in families’ home languages, and obtain parental acknowledgement. (DeChero) - Policy for 4th graders: The district said existing policy that allows elementary students who have attended a school since fourth grade to remain there through fifth grade would be extended to ENL students; parents would be offered the option to keep a child at Harmony Hill for one final year. (DeChero) - Transportation and budget concerns: Board members raised concerns that ending bus service to Harmony Hill could prompt families to seek other options, including charter schools, especially given recent bus-driver shortages. Administrators noted transportation paperwork and logistics are complex and cited an approximate transportation cost of $160,000 referenced during discussion. (Board members; Jacqueline DeChero)

Board questions and concerns Board members asked that the district gather parent input (via conferences or surveys), analyze language distribution across the three elementary schools (to identify “singleton” languages that could isolate a child), and model implementation scenarios, including phased rollouts. Several board members urged looking at other districts’ models and warned that abrupt changes without clear family communication could cause enrollment loss.

Next steps Administrators said they will continue stakeholder outreach, provide additional transportation cost figures and return with a follow-up at a future board meeting. DeChero said staff professional development and translation services will be planned so receiving teachers are prepared if the plan proceeds.

Ending The board did not take a formal vote on the proposal at the Jan. 22 meeting; members asked staff to pursue parent engagement, finalize transportation estimates and report back at a future meeting.