North Platte Public Schools reports growth in English learner program; two new teachers added for 2025-26

At the May 12, 2025, meeting of the North Platte Public Schools Board of Education, English learner coordinator Kelly Sheets reported sustained growth in the district’s English learner (EL) program and told trustees the district will add two certificated EL teachers for the 2025–26 school year.

Sheets told the board the program now includes students who speak 23 languages and that, as of the report, the district had 63 active EL students and 31 students designated as monitors for a total of 194 students. She said 23 new EL students are already registered for next year and will require screening.

The report described classroom models, curriculum and family engagement. Sheets said the district uses EL Achieve curriculum that targets reading, writing, speaking and listening every day and emphasizes explicit language instruction and structured talk; the program aims for students to do about half of classroom talk time. She described…