Student need dips for English language help

For the first time in at least 17 years, Sioux Falls public schools experienced a drop in the number of non-native English-speaking students who need extra help learning the language.

Growing immigrant populations have long driven a steady increase in the number of students enrolled in the Sioux Falls School District’s English Language Learner programs. The district usually adds 100 to 150 ELL students each year, peaking at 2,137 last year.

But a report presented Monday to school officials indicates a break in the trend, with 35 fewer students enrolled in ELL than last fall. The number could easily rebound in a month as more immigrant families move into the area and get settled in their new homes, Superintendent Pam Homan said.

“It’s premature to make anything out of that flattening right now,” Homan said. “Sometimes arrivals really fluctuate.”

The dip in ELL students was just part of new enrollment information presented to Sioux Falls school board members. District officials finalized enrollment numbers last month, with the district gaining 430 students for a total enrollment of 23,031.

Enrollment is a key factor in calculating public school funding each year. Because of the increase in students this fall, the Sioux Falls district stands to gain about $2.1 million in local taxes and state aid under South Dakota’s per-student allocation formula