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North Hunterdon-Voorhees recognizes multilingual students; district reports growth in multilingual learner numbers
Summary
The board recognized student leaders and described growth in the districtEnglish-as-a-second-language and multilingual learner population, and administrators reported increases in students earning the Seal of Biliteracy and broad AP participation.
Board meeting recognition on March 18 honored student projects and multilingual learners while administrators outlined an increase in multilingual learners and rising Seal of Biliteracy numbers.
At the Voorhees recognition segment, the board and school staff recognized a student, Christian Retchen, for an Eagle Scout project creating heavy-duty storage carts for the fencing team. Later the board highlighted Genesis, an 11th grader who arrived as a multilingual learner in March 2024 and now mentors newer multilingual students. Administrators described Genesiswork guiding newcomers through school routines and supporting language transitions.
Context and program data: District leaders told the board that since 2022 the number of multilingual learners has almost doubled and that North Hunterdon High School currently serves more than 20 students who are limited in English proficiency or classified as multilingual learners. At times administrators estimated single-building ESL enrollments (one building had eight students in the ESL class) and noted students who speak no English on arrival rely on dedicated ESL staff for instruction and cultural orientation.
The administration also reported increases in the districtSeal of Biliteracy awards and strong AP participation: more than 500 students took AP exams last year across both schools (287 at North, 233 at Voorhees), producing more than 1,000 exams administered. Administrators said COVID-era dips had reversed and that language-development assessments (ACCESS for ELLs) and AP and NJGPA results are tracked to measure progress.
Why it matters: Growth in multilingual learners affects staffing, program design and coordination with K-8 sending districts. Administrators noted some K-8 districts struggle to offer world-language instruction, which can affect students' ability to earn the Seal of Biliteracy. The district plans continued articulation with sending districts and exploration of shared services to build capacity.
Next steps: The board was reminded about upcoming stakeholder strategic-planning meetings and was asked to encourage community participation; administrators said they will continue to report assessment results and program metrics to the board.
