COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Coldwater Community Schools is responding to a significant increase in its student population of multilingual learners (ML), which now represents nearly 30% of its students.
The number of students not proficient in English has grown from 701 in 2023 to 868, with Arabic, Spanish, and Haitian Creole being the most prevalent languages. The district is expanding its ML programs, hiring more qualified staff, and using the World Class Instructional Design Assessment (WIDA) framework to measure proficiency, leading to 159 students recently achieving proficiency.
Beyond K-12, the district collaborates with local organizations like the Branch Intermediate School District and Kellogg Community College to offer free ESL and conversational English classes for the broader community.
New state requirements for English learners also mandate minimum specialized instructional time, with funding linked to compliance. By expanding programs and support systems, the district aims to ensure all students can succeed.
If we stop catering to them they would stop coming to Coldwater. Let’s find people who will contribute more than they expect from us.