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SCUC ISD reports 750 emergent bilingual students, 88 reclassified this year; district files waivers for teacher certification gaps
Summary
In its annual Chapter 89 report the district said it serves roughly 750 emergent bilingual students (454 in ESL), reclassified 88 students, and will file one bilingual exception and 13 ESL waivers where specialized placements prevent immediate certified teacher assignment.
District staff delivered the annual bilingual and ESL program evaluation required by Texas Education Code Chapter 89 and outlined student counts, assessment results, staffing and planned waivers.
The presentation described two programs: the ESL program (PreK–12, multiple primary languages) and the bilingual/dual‑language program (PreK–6, Spanish primary). Staff said the district serves roughly 750 emergent bilingual students this year and that 454 students are currently in ESL services; the district recently reclassified 88 students after meeting reclassification criteria. "The number of emergent bilingual students that we serve is 750... we just reclassified 88 students," the presenter said.
Certification and waivers: Staff reported 431 ESL‑certified teachers and 43 bilingual‑certified teachers. Because some students must remain in specialized or advanced courses where a certified ESL/bilingual teacher is not available, staff said they must file waivers: one bilingual exception and 13 ESL waivers for the coming year. The district described its response plan: targeted professional development, instructional supports (including Summit K‑12 for monitoring English proficiency), increased bilingual stipends (from $1,500 to $3,500) and recruitment efforts with Region 20 and local colleges.
Assessment results: Staff summarized TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment) distribution and growth measures: for 2024–25, 33% of students grew at least one proficiency level on the TELPAS composite and the district reclassified students who achieved 'advanced high' and met reading benchmarks. Staff noted TELPAS and MAP data are used along with STAAR projections to track cohort progress.
What's next: District leaders said they will continue credentialing work, reimbursements for ESL endorsements, monthly dual‑language meetings and targeted PD; they highlighted the difficulty of ESL certification and the district's support programs for teachers pursuing endorsements.
