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In the last decade, Madison's Limited English Proficiency (LEP) enrollment has exploded. In 1992-93 there were 809 LEP students in the district; for the current school year, the number is about 2,600 - an increase of over 320% and currently about 10.4% of the district's total enrollment. The enrollments fluctuate weekly and continue to exceed projections. The district's 2001-02 LEP budget was $7.2 million, based on a projected enrollment of 2,395. In September, the Board of Education allocated an additional $251,000 for nearly nine new ESL teachers to accommodate the over-projected enrollment.
The 2001-02 budget added 20 new bilingual teachers/aides at a cost of $1.1 million - in a year when the district cut nearly $5 million from the budget and eliminated 31 full-time positions to comply with revenue limits. Perhaps the greatest challenge for MMSD is the rapid increase of Hispanic students, many of whom come to the United States illiterate in their native tongue. The resources necessary to educate these students are substantial. Oftentimes, the students also come from impoverished backgrounds, increasing the learning challenges. The following chart details LEP growth since 1993.
MMSD LEP Enrollment Growth
(1992-2002)
![[Chart of LEP Enrollment Growth]](lep.gif)
Although the state and federal governments mandate the education of LEP students, the necessary resources are woefully inadequate. The state reimbursement for LEP expenses is currently 17 cents on the dollar, with the Department of Public Instruction estimating that the rate will decline further based on increasing LEP enrollments. Special materials are needed to educate LEP students, costing between $3-4,000 to set up a bilingual classroom - MMSD added 11 new bilingual classes this year.
Staffing costs for LEP education continues to escalate. In English as a Second Language classrooms you need two staff members: a teacher (generally English-speaking) and an aide (native speaker). In bilingual classrooms, where instruction is delivered in the students' native tongue, a teacher must not only be content-area certified, but must be proficient in both English and the foreign language. Staffing LEP classrooms is highly competitive, in addition to the necessary staff development and recruitment expenses. There are fewer qualified teachers to fill the growing need.
Funding is a critical issue for Madison's LEP program. As enrollments steadily increase, the challenges associated with the growth - ensuring that services for bilingual students are not stopped too soon (research indicates it takes 5-7 years to reach academic English proficiency), the need for summer school funds, and finding qualified staff - all require resources. The state Supreme Court's majority said the state must fund the LEP mandate adequately to ensure the constitutionality of the school aid formula.