Dexter district discontinues state‑funded bilingual program; expands after‑school ELL tutoring

The presenter told the finance board the district will not have the state‑certified bilingual program next year because staffing and certification requirements were not met. She said the program ‘‘was not working the way it's supposed to be’’ and that the district instead will offer after‑school English‑language learner (ELL) tutoring and explore less‑intensive bilingual models for future adoption.

The presenter described five different bilingual program types in state guidance and said one option requires fewer hours and therefore less funding; that option may allow the district to offer some bilingual instruction without full program certification. For students whose first language is Spanish or another language, the district will continue ELL services funded by Title III and will supplement with after‑school tutoring led by district teachers. The presenter said the tutoring is optional and currently staffed by teachers who have been repurposed to run afternoon ELL lessons.

Why it matters: losing state‑certified bilingual funding reduces revenue tied directly to certified bilingual staffing and may require local funds or shifted staff time to maintain services. The presenter acknowledged gaps created by recent staff departures and said the district does not want to accept funding it cannot legitimately deliver because it could be required to repay misused funds.

Next steps: the presenter said staff will look into alternative program options and bring proposals back to the board for approval; until then, the district will rely on after‑school tutoring and Title III supports.