LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Districts across the Commonwealth are home to a growing population of students whose first language is not English.
As of this month, Fayette County Public Schools have more than 8,000 students considered "English learners", up from roughly 6,800 just two years ago. Those students come from a diverse set of backgrounds, speaking more than 100 languages.
It follows a statewide trend. Data obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education shows a record of English learners, 51,248 students, were enrolled in Kentucky schools last year. That number is up from 28,743 English learners enrolled in the 2017-2018 school year.
Matthew Courtney, policy advisor for KDE's Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, said the trend has caused "significant strain" on resources as districts struggle to serve students of all backgrounds.
"We're seeing a lot of students who are coming from areas where they speak very niche languages, very regional dialects, and those resources cost a lot of money because we have to have specialists at play," Courtney said.
Courtney added that districts will likely need more support and services as the trend continues.
At FCPS, Rose Santiago, director of multilingual and gifted and talented services, said the district has implemented a number of strategies to keep up with the growing population of English learners.
From multilingual family ambassadors to translation devices on every campus, the district is committed to allowing all students to succeed.
"Regardless of the zip code, what we're doing is removing barriers and providing opportunities," Santiago said.
One of the district's multilingual family ambassadors is Patrick Irakiza, who moved to Lexington from Rwanda while in high school in 2012.
He spoke a multitude of languages when he transferred into Henry Clay High School, including Kinyarwanda, Swahili and Kirundi. He didn't, however, speak English.
"I was like, how am I gonna fit in in that kind of environment, or how am I gonna fit in in a new language, in that country?" he said.
Irakiza went on to succeed in school and sports, ultimately playing soccer for Asbury University.
Now, he's helping other students who are coming into FCPS without English proficiency. He said as the number of English learners has increased, the access to resources for students has also improved.
"Right now, it's getting better. There's still a lot of progress to be made. But it's better than when I was in school."
This piece is part one of a two-part story about the growing population of English learners and how school districts are managing to allocate resources to keep up. Part two will be available on Oct. 29.
