GRAND ISLAND – Students in Grand Island Public Schools come from 59 birth countries, according to Amanda Levos, Director of the English Learner Program for the district.
Levos and Melinda Sturgill, Welcome Center coordinator, gave a report Oct. 10 to the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education about the English Learner Program and the Welcome Center.
The Welcome Center has anywhere from five to 30 appointments per week, Levos said.
She said the 83 percent of all students are born in the United States, and that comprises 51 percent of English Learners. Of the home languages of students, 54 percent speak English, and 42 percent speak Spanish.
Levos gave examples of why families move to Grand Island. They include work, family or friend recommendation, unification with family, lower cost of living, and a welcoming school community.
Sturgill said the Welcome Center is located at the Career Pathways Institute at 1215 S. Adams St. She and Gaby Gonzalez, family liaison worker, are the two staff members. The Welcome Center was established in 2007 and was housed at the Central District Health Department until 2021.
As of Oct. 4, 528 students have been served at the Welcome Center for the 2024-2025 school year, Sturgill said. The majority of students served are in elementary school, and the largest number of students is served in August.
The school district had three days (June 20, June 21, and July 9) designated as district multilingual registration days for the 2024-25 school year. The registration days are a collaborative effort between multiple departments in the school district and a number of community organizations. In 16 hours, 101 students were registered or assessed. Three multilingual registration registration days have been scheduled for the summer of 2025.
Levos said that 2,527 school district students are in the English Learner program, which represents 27 percent of students. The majority of students are elementary school students. During the 2022-23 school year, there were 2,353 students in the English Learner program. During the 2023-24 school year, there were 2,732 students in the English Learner program, an increase of 379 students.
Levos said that the school district considers four factors to identify students who could benefit from the Newcomer program. First, the students are new to United States schools, meaning that they have been enrolled in United States schools for less than one year. Second, the students’ home language is something other than English. Next, a student’s English Language proficiency score is “Proficiency Not Demonstrated” or “Emerging.” Finally the student has a limited or interrupted formal educational experience. Thirteen percent of the total number of English Language students are served in the Newcomer program.
Levos said for the future, two staffing areas are needed. First, more English Learner elementary positions are needed. Second, an English Language curriculum and instruction specialist for grades 6 to 12 is needed.
Levos said there were several advantages of speaking more than one language. The first is that the characteristic is “cognitively good.” Second, being able to speak more than one language can open career opportunities.
In other business, the Board approved by a 7-0 vote an annexation agreement with Northwest Public Schools concerning a tract of land at or near the Wildwood Business Park that the city annexed. In consideration of the annexation, Grand Island Public Schools will pay Northwest Public Schools $43,099.86. Board members Josh Sikes and Lindsay Jurgens were absent Thursday.
In another item, the Board voted 7-0 to purchase a tract of land south of Shoemaker Elementary School for $75,000. The land may be used for parking at a future date.
