LTHS Set To Increase Bilingual Staff

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School plans to expand its bilingual staff.

According to state data, the percentage of bilingual students – officially known as "English language learners" – increased to 3.5 percent last year, up from 1.6 percent in 2017.

At this week's school board meeting, Ed Piotrowski, the school's human resources director, said the school aimed to increase the number of Spanish teachers by six.

This expansion would be part of the shift to a full bilingual program, he said. It would involve a co-teaching model, in which a Spanish teacher would be paired with a content area teacher such as health.

Officials said they would have to work hard to find teachers with the right endorsements.

"It's competitive now out there because there are so many high schools in Illinois facing the same shortage and the same increase in students," said Leslie Owens, the school's director of student services.

According to last year's Illinois Report Card, the high school's 254 teachers served 3,919 students. About 140 students were English language leaders last year.