By NEIL ZOLOT
WAKEFIELD — The number of Multi-Language Learners (MLLs), formerly English as a Second Language or English as a Learned Language students, has grown from 90 in Fiscal 2022 to 133 in Fiscal 2025, a 48 percent increase.
“We’re seeing significant need,” Superintendent Doug Lyons said at the School Committee meeting Tuesday, March 11 as part of his Fiscal 2026 budget presentation. “Support for Multi-Language Learners is critical. In a district that doesn’t push MLLs well, they don’t progress and are often pushed into Special Education (SPED). They don’t have a disability, but have no support on the front side.”
“We want to support students early to build their education for the future,” Assistant Superintendent Kara Mauro added.
In the new $55,425,161 fiscal year 2026 budget proposal and future years, there are hopes to hire a new MLL teacher at the elementary school level, paid through funds allocated from retiring teacher salaries to implement research-based curricula to enhance language development, expand staffing to meet student needs by gradually increasing MLL staffing to provide targeted support and enhance secondary school course offerings by developing new courses to improve MLL access to core content.
There are also long term plans to hire bilingual teachers and paraprofessionals.
The number of SPED students in out-of-district programs like SEEM has remained fairly stable, but costs have risen dramatically since Fiscal 2023. That year there were 36 in that category, with 38 in the new projected budget. The average tuition cost per pupil has risen from $75,089 to 133,091, however. For the district, tuition has risen from $2.85 million to $5.19 million, partly as a result of a 14 percent increase in cost mandated by then new state regulations for Fiscal 2024. “Transportation to out-of-district programs is a big cost,” SPED Director Rosie Galvin said. She added some students need a paraprofessional or nurse with them.
There is Circuit Breaker aid to help cover some of the costs, but districts are only given 75 percent in reimbursement. One year it was only 65 percent and communities are facing the potential of cuts in funding from the federal government from the Trump administration given the President’s inclination to cut the budget by defunding education.
In-district programs help defray some costs. “Rosie is working to keep people in the district,” Lyons said, but cautioned, “Families have to have confidence we can meet their student’s needs. If families lose that confidence and enter out-of-district programs, the numbers can change.”
“We’re doing a lot of work to refine our programs,” Galvin explained. “The goal is for families to feel comfortable we can have programs for students regardless of the age they’re entering the school system.”
“SPED needs offerings in-district to keep costs down,” School Committee chairman Stephen Ingalls agreed.
It all dovetails with a goal for individualized student learning outlined in a 7-minute video shown before Lyons’ budget presentation to “use the right interventions, supports, observations and data so every student has the opportunity to grow and belong.”
Another way of defraying expenses is to prepay for programs, which stretches payments into two fiscal years. “We use the assumption things will be level funded,” School Department Business Manager Christine Bufagna explained. “We still need the money, but it lowers the burden on the tax levy because it crosses two years.”
Lyons’ presentation also included results of a survey on priorities answered by 370 families and 134 staff members. The top priority for families was sustaining investments in high quality curriculum, while the top priority of staff members is expanding support for MLLs.
The second priority of families is to maintain investment in Social and Emotional Learning and Student Well Being, while the second priority of the staff is expanding SPED programs.
Continuing to improve facilities is the third priority of families, while maintaining investment in Student Intervention and Social and Emotional Learning and Student Well Being is the third priority of the staff.
“Prioritizing greater access to counseling and student services, makes a great difference,” Lyons feels. “It also helps teachers because students are more open to learning.”