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Pullman ELD leaders say program understaffed despite test-score gains and grant aid
Summary
District ELD staff reported measurable language growth at several schools but warned the English Language Development program remains underfunded and relies on grants and overspending to cover staffing needs.
Ryan, who introduced the district’s English language development presentation, told the Pullman School District board the ELD program is “incredibly underfunded” and that current staffing and grant revenue do not fully cover the program’s costs. The district has two certificated ELD teachers (Jessica Glover and Kelly Damon), one paraprofessional this year and plans for two paraprofessionals next year.
The program reported grant receipts including a TBIP award of about $295,000 and roughly $41,000 from Title funds. Ryan said those allocations contribute to total ELD-related expenditures that exceed $300,000 for the year and that staffing accounts for a substantial portion of that spending.
ELD lead Kelly Damon detailed screening and assessment procedures, including WIDA testing, and shared growth rates she attributed to the program’s recent practices. “This year, the growth percentages: 57% of our kids in the high school grew from a level to the next level,” Damon said, citing site-by-site results such as Kamiak (80%), Jefferson (59%) and Franklin (61%). She also reported exit rates at Jefferson (20%) and Franklin (46%).
Damon emphasized instructional practice changes intended to boost academic access: the district favors a push-in or co-teaching model where ELD staff work alongside general-education teachers so English learners access grade-level rigor with accommodations. She said pull-out instruction remains for newcomers or students assessed below the program’s pull-out threshold.
Ryan and Damon described family engagement methods including translated communications via ParentSquare, family and literacy nights, and routine outreach. Board members asked about how instruction is delivered across grade bands; Damon explained a mix of pull-out for lower-level newcomers and push-in/co-teaching for most grades.
The board scheduled no immediate action; the presentation closed with the district noting plans to increase paraprofessional staffing next year and ongoing reliance on grant funds to close the funding gap.
