Current situation
State laws require teachers with bilingual/ESL students to be certified in those topics, said Erika Gutierrez, director of Multilingual/Migrant/Title III for NCISD, via a Dec. 9 email. Based on the number of bilingual/ESL students currently enrolled at NCISD—6,581 as of Nov. 6—129 teachers need to be certified across the district, said Scott Powers, executive director of public relations for NCISD, via email.
During the 2024-25 school year, 22 teachers successfully filed an exemption for the bilingual/ESL certification requirements, while 135 waivers are needed for the 2025-26 school year, according to NCISD's 2025-26 bilingual/ESL Program Evaluation report, which was approved by the district’s trustees Oct. 20.
Looking ahead
The number of students who need bilingual/ESL courses at NCISD schools has remained steady in recent years, according to the Oct. 20 report.
However, with NCISD’s enrollment projected to grow by up to about 11,200 students over the next decade, the district could also see more students in need of bilingual/ESL learning services enroll, and therefore, the district would need more certified teachers, Gutierrez said.
“The number of teachers seeking ESL certification reflects ongoing state requirements and campus needs, not necessarily a sudden shift in demand,” Gutierrez said. “Our district continues to support teachers in obtaining these certifications so they can effectively serve their students.”
What else?
NCISD has about 20,030 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year, Powers estimated in August, making bilingual/ESL students about 32.9% of the student population.
At the end of the 2024-25 school year, NCISD had 6,830 bilingual/ESL students, Powers said. This population made up about 35.2% of the district’s total enrollment, which was 19,420, as previously reported by Community Impact.
To view NCISD's full 2025-26 bilingual/ESL Program Evaluation report, view the document below.
