English as a Second Language (ESL)

Educational Success for English Language Learners

The Sioux City Community School District continues to serve a growing population of English Learners (ELs) in grades K-12 through the English Language Learner Program.

Approximately 82 percent of the EL students served in the District are Spanish speaking. Other languages include, but are not limited to, Vietnamese, Somali, Oromo, Amharic, Chuukese, Arabic, and French.

Under Iowa law, an English Learner is defined as a student whose primary language is a language other than English, with English proficiency low enough to decrease the probability of educational success in an English-only classroom.

Every building in the SCCSD has ELL programming; each building’s programming differs based on student data and need.