Utah explores emergency funding amid dramatic increase in English learners enrolled in schools

Classroom sizes in Utah are climbing, which lawmakers partially attribute to a trickle effect of the southern border crisis. And, being able to cater to students who are in the process of learning English has become “unsustainable” with current resources, teachers have told their representatives. 

That’s what moved Herriman Republican Rep. Candice Pierucci to draft HB42, or English Learner Amendments, a bill that would provide certain schools with emergency funding to respond to a “significant increase in English language learner enrollment.” The House Education Committee unanimously recommended the bill for full House consideration.

With the legislation, Utah would allocate $500,000 a year for that endeavor. That money would come from untapped funds from the at-risk weighted pupil unit, a measure used by the state to assign additional funding to students based on their scores or other needs.

As of now, Pierucci calculates that four school districts would be eligible for the funds. 

“We had one school that had almost 100 students show up on the first day of school that had never been registered and didn’t speak English,” Pierucci said on Tuesday. “So this bill is trying to really be a shot in the arm and truly emergency funding for those really serious situations.”

Schools would be eligible to apply for the funds if they experience at least a 75% enrollment uptick of English learners compared to the previous three-year averages, but to be considered, there should be at least 30 kids in need of the resources. The Utah State Board of Education would review the applications and determine which schools have the most significant increases, Pierucci said.

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According to the bill, the schools should also demonstrate their existing funds are insufficient to adequately support the increase of English-learning students.

The numbers are significant, Pierucci said. The Jordan School District had a 108% increase in English-learning students, Alpine had a 139% increase and Canyons saw a 107% rise.

“A lot of the districts I’ve talked to have said they’d use it for English language certification, to upscale the amount of staff they have who can have these students and help specialize in making sure their learning needs are met,” Pierucci said.

The new federal administration is already conducting an immigration overhaul, but Pierucci doesn’t foresee an immediate change in the schools’ needs.

“So what you will likely see, and as we have seen the Trump administration secure the border and start, in many cases, working through deportation, you might start seeing this aggressive jump in percentages come down,” Pierucci said. “I think it will take quite some time for that to come down.”

And, there are many people living in the U.S. legally who still don’t speak English, she added.

Would Salt Lake City schools be eligible?

Different student advocacy groups, and even a mayor, expressed their support for the bill during the public comment hearing. However, some worried that these funds may not be available to some school districts with high needs and who host some of the most diverse populations in the state, including the Salt Lake City and Granite school districts.

Among the speakers who addressed the House Education Committee was Liliana Bolaños, policy analyst at Voices for Utah Children. She said that in her job, she has met with several educators who have confirmed the need for a program like this.

“This bill would not only support newcomer or immigrant students, but also benefit all students who speak a different language at home, reflecting the diverse and vibrant communities that make up our state,” Bolaños told the committee. 

However, Bolaños urged lawmakers to make funds more accessible to schools that have historically had higher numbers of English language learners that may not meet the threshold set in the bill. 

“For example, Salt Lake City School District, which has a significant population of English learners, would not qualify for this funding under the current criteria,” she said, “despite being in urgent need for these resources to support their diverse student body.”

Lorin Palmer, mayor of Herriman, spoke in support of the bill as well. His city, which is part of the Jordan School District, would be served by the policy.

Palmer argued that while immigration is a national issue, often, local government and school districts “are left to manage the real impacts.”

“Schools are tasked with providing education and support to every student, regardless of their background. The increase in English language learning students has created a significant challenge for schools in our community and across the state,” Palmer said. “This bill will provide critical resources to help schools adapt to these challenges, meeting the needs of students while maintaining the quality of education we all expect.”