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Resident tells Battle Creek school board 60% of multilingual staff were laid off; board pledges follow-up
Summary
At the Feb. 9 Battle Creek Public Schools work session, resident Sarita Collins told the board she believes about 60% of multilingual/EL staff were laid off and pressed the district on how it will meet new MDE English-language development requirements; the board said staff would follow up.
SARITA COLLINS, a resident who identified herself during the public-comment period, told the Battle Creek Public Schools Board of Education that she believes “approximately 60% of the staff who were multilingual or EL language learners were laid off” before the start of the school year and asked the board to confirm and explain why.
Collins also noted that the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is now requiring “a specific number of designated and integrated English language development instruction for EL students” and said she was concerned the district’s recent staffing and the modest funding increase she cited — “approximately $32,500” — would not be sufficient to meet the mandate. She asked the board what plans are in place for training staff, supporting multilingual students and ensuring bus service for newly enrolled students so they are not out of school for weeks.
The board did not answer the substantive questions at the microphone. A district representative told Collins, “someone will be in touch with you,” and no further detail was provided during the meeting.
Why it matters: English learners’ access to required instruction is shaped by staffing, scheduling and funding decisions; Collins’s comments raise questions about whether the district’s current personnel and resources match the state’s instructional expectations and whether the district’s onboarding and busing processes are meeting newly enrolled families’ needs.
What the transcript shows: Collins alleged a large-scale reduction in multilingual staff and named both the MDE requirement and the $32,500 funding increase she had seen in district materials. The transcript records only the board’s pledge to follow up, not an on-the-spot verification or a plan to address the specific instruction, staffing or transportation concerns she raised.
Next steps noted at the meeting: Collins said she would follow up with the superintendent’s office; the district indicated staff would contact her to provide further information.
