Willis ISD reports growth in bilingual and ESL enrollment; district seeks bilingual teacher recruits

Erica Del Rio, coordinator of Willis ISD’s bilingual and English‑learner programs, briefed the board on April 6 about a multi‑year rise in emergent bilingual enrollment and the district’s program structure, professional‑development plans and recruitment efforts.

The lede: Since 2022–23, Willis ISD’s enrollment in bilingual and ESL programs has increased by 129 students. The district now operates dual‑language (Spanish/English) programming at Cannon Elementary, Hardy Elementary and Roark Early Education Center, and uses an ESL pull‑out model for students districtwide.

Nut graf: Del Rio said the district’s bilingual program follows a one‑way dual‑language model intended to produce bilingualism and biliteracy. She described program language allocations by grade level, staffing levels, training steps and recruitment activities intended to address a statewide shortage of bilingual‑certified teachers.

What the presentation covered

- Program model and numbers: Del Rio said Willis ISD’s one‑way dual‑language immersion (Spanish/English) runs pre‑K through grade 5 at three campuses. Typical language allocation transitions from roughly 80% partner language (Spanish) in pre‑K/kindergarten toward a…