Floresville ISD to seek ESL waiver for high‑school classes; district highlights gains in English proficiency

Tanya Castillo, the district's coordinator of special programs for bilingual and ESL services, reported to the board that Floresville schools made measurable progress in English‑language proficiency and outlined the district's plan to apply for an ESL waiver at the high school.

"For the 2425 school year, Floresville South and Floresville Middle School earned a 100% of the possible points for English language proficiency," Castillo said, noting the district's TELPAS results and the reclassification of 23 emergent bilingual students to non‑emergent status last year.

Castillo told trustees the waiver is needed because the district currently does not have ESL‑certified teachers in all high‑school English classrooms where emergent bilingual students are enrolled. The district plans to contract with Region 20 for coaching and to set aside funds for professional learning so teachers on waiver can prepare for and take the ESL certification exam; the district will reimburse exam costs for teachers who pass and add the certification to their teaching certificate.

Trustees asked clarifying questions about the weight of the English proficiency component in accountability calculations; Castillo confirmed the English‑language proficiency component counts for 10% of the campus closing‑the‑gap domain and that the district previously had success in preparing teachers for certification (three of four teachers certified after last year's prep).

Administration said the SLAC (school library advisory committee) and other supports will also be brought forward as part of the district's ongoing work to support emergent bilingual students.