By The Times Staff

At the School Committee meeting on November 2, Paulina Mitropoulos, director of the multilingual education department, presented the department’s focus for the year with an overview of data pertaining to both enrollment and academics.

Data trends related to ML enrollment will guide the decisions and promote equitable outcomes for all students, explained Mitropoulos.

In the 2024-2025 school year, ML enrollment peaked at 1,170 students. ML enrollment has since declined to 1,027 students at the start of this school year.

Compared with the relatively modest decline in overall district enrollment, ML enrollment has declined at a higher rate.

“Several factors contribute to this decline, including lower newcomer enrollment over the last two years, as well as an increasing number of students exiting [Former English Learner] (FEL) status, which is great news,” said Mitropoulos.

While ML enrollment has declined, the proportion of multilingual learners within total district enrollment has remained “relatively stable,” with ML students representing 20 to 24 percent of SPS students over the last 6 years, she said.

Multilingual learners are represented in every school in Somerville, with the highest proportion of these learners at the East Somerville Community School, which houses the Unidos K-8 Dual Language Program and Sonrisa, a bilingual preschool program.

Mitropoulos noted that significant progress has been made for multilingual students with disabilities across the district.