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Caswell County Schools says single ELL coordinator stretched as enrollment rises to 67 students
Summary
An English-language-learners coordinator told the school board the district's ELL caseload has grown from roughly two dozen students to about 67 and that one coordinator, 10-month contracts and limited time for testing, translation and family support are straining the program.
Viviana, the district’s English-language-learner coordinator, told the Caswell County Schools Board of Education on April 7 that the district’s ELL program has grown from about 26 students in 2020–21 to roughly 67 students now and is being run by a single coordinator.
The coordinator said she delivers direct English instruction, supports classroom teachers with core subjects, interprets for families at conferences and Individualized Education Program meetings, manages testing compliance and the district’s ELL records in PowerSchool, and connects families to community resources. “I currently have 67 that are marked as ELL,” she said.
Board members heard the coordinator describe program tasks and constraints: administering the WIDA screener for newcomer identification, arranging ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS testing that measures yearly language growth, creating individualized ELL plans, translating documents and working hand-in-hand with the district testing coordinator. She said she has completed required WIDA screener and ACCESS training and coordinates testing schedules with the district testing coordinator, Shannon Apple.
The coordinator listed the program’s chief challenges as rapid enrollment growth, time constraints balancing instruction, testing and family support, cultural and academic gaps among students arriving with little or no prior schooling, a lack of additional staff and the fact that the coordinator’s contract runs 10 months a year. She told the board the current model"relying on 1 coordinator will be unsustainable in a couple of years with the increasing demand," and asked the board for strategic investment to support equity, student success and family engagement.
Board members asked clarifying questions about caseload and scheduling. The coordinator said she serves students across the district’s six schools, tries to visit higher-need schools more often, and maintains a weekly schedule of site visits. She explained how students qualify for ELL services: families complete a language survey at enrollment; if a survey answer suggests a language other than English, the student receives the WIDA screener and is placed in ELL if they do not pass the screener.
The presentation was informational; board members did not take a vote during the meeting. Superintendent Gwen Wynne and district testing coordinator Shannon Apple were present for questions and clarifications.
Board members acknowledged the program’s growth and asked staff to return with budget and staffing options as the district develops its 2025–26 budget proposals.
