Boom in English-learner population prompts Henrico Schools to expand staffing; scholarship established in honor of Thornton, O'Bannon

Jan 05, 2024

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Henrico School Board members voiced concerns after HCPS officials revealed data that showed “exponential growth” in Henrico’s English-learner population; 1,866 new students were identified as English-learners over the past five years, but only 33 new ESL teachers have been hired.

Henrico created a new scholarship fund in honor of former supervisors Frank Thornton and Pat O’Bannon, which will award two HCPS high school seniors with $5,000 each year.

A “soft launch” of the new FAFSA process, which college applicants must complete in order to qualify for financial aid, has come with some problems.

Struggles with ESL staffing

Henrico County’s English-learner population is “exponentially growing,” Henrico Schools officials said recently, and division leaders are trying to quickly increase the number of ESL staff to accommodate the influx.

During the past five years, 1,866 new students identified as English-learners – students who demonstrate difficulty in achieving standard English proficiency – have joined HCPS, but only 33 new ESL (also referred to as Language Instruction Education Program, or LIEP) teachers have been hired. At a Henrico School Board meeting last month, board members Marcie Shea (Tuckahoe District) and Micky Ogburn (Three Chopt District) said that was a notable concern for the school division.

At the board’s Dec. 14 meeting, HCPS officials shared efforts of division leadership to meet the needs of the growing English-learner population, including increasing staffing and expanding certain ESL programs. Since 2014, Henrico Schools’ English-learner community has grown by 84% – the most of any student demographic.

Henrico County, with the nonprofit Henrico Education Foundation and a host of donors, has established a scholarship fund to honor former longtime supervisors Frank Thornton and Pat O’Bannon, who concluded 28 years of service when their terms ended Dec. 31.

The fund, supported solely through private donations, is expected to provide annual scholarships of $5,000 to two Henrico County Public Schools seniors who embody values that Thornton and O’Bannon have exhibited throughout their service. Both were first elected in 1995 and took office in 1996. Thornton became Henrico’s first Black supervisor; O’Bannon was its first woman to serve. Each was elected by their colleagues six times to serve as board chairman.

HCPS high school seniors will be able to apply for the scholarships beginning in January through an online portal of the Henrico Education Foundation. A five-person committee will review the applications and essays and will select the first recipients by late spring.

The U.S. Department of Education said the rollout of its much-anticipated overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, has run into some problems.

“Leading up to and during the soft launch, we uncovered some minor issues affecting users at various points in the application process, which is to be expected with the launch of a major new website,” the department said in a statement Sunday. “We are addressing these issues concurrently and will continue to monitor for additional issues users may encounter while we conduct the soft launch.”

During the past three years, the department has been redesigning the form to make it less complex, with the goal of granting more students access to financial aid.

Photo of the week

Henrico High’s Boys Basketball team won the Henrico Holiday Hoops Tournament last weekend (photo creds to @henricohsprincipal)

Henrico Education Weekly

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Boom in English-learner population prompts Henrico Schools to expand staffing; scholarship established in honor of Thornton, O'Bannon

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