LEWISTON — The School Committee approved the school district’s new plan for identifying and educating English language learners during its meeting Monday, and considered the possible creation of designated prayer spaces in schools.

Half a dozen community members shared their perspectives on the update to the English Language Learning program, called the Lau Plan, which outlines the identification and education of students identified as English language learners. The previous policy was outdated and no longer met state standards, according to School Committee members.

Community members and the student representative told the committee that some families do not want their students identified as English language learners. Among other requirements, these students must take an English proficiency exam every year which determines whether the student will continue in the English Language Learning program.

A parent of three Lewiston High School graduates told the committee that whenever the school called to ask if a language other than English was spoken at home, he would tell the caller, “no we don’t speak any other language, we speak English.”

If a second language is spoken at home, the student is automatically considered an English Language Learning student until they test out of the program.

“That’s how I cheated the system, and that needs to be changed,” he said.

His children, who were born in the U.S., are native English speakers. The presence of a second language at a student’s home shouldn’t necessitate the student being placed in English Language Learning classes, he said, noting that for some students, it can hinder their education progress.

In some cases, students remain in the English Language Learning program because they don’t put effort into the annual proficiency test, others said.

“The main reason that students hate to take this access test is it’s something that repeats every year, (the) same questions,” said School Committee student representative Leila Abdi, a junior at the high school. “It’s really easy, but tricky at the same time.

Assistant Superintendent Karen Paquette said the district is limited in the changes it can make to the plan because some sections are required by state or federal agencies.

“I think we can always change the laws,” the parent said. “If it doesn’t work for us and it concerns our kids, we need to change it. We need to challenge it.”

After community members shared their opinions and experiences, Superintendent Jake Langlais spoke in defense of the district’s system.

“I also don’t want to say it’s all just broken, it’s all just wrong,” Langlais said. “We’ve seen people refuse services for whatever family (or) personal reasons, and watch them go into academic classes and absolutely fail, and then want the school to explain why they were in these classes they couldn’t be successful in.”

“When you start getting into academic language, we find a lot of students who really struggle, who do need additional support,” he added.

City Council representative Linda Scott said she believes this is a much larger conversation which needs to include the state Department of Education, and potentially Lewiston’s legislators. Still, she said she was not against approving the plan, noting that she thinks it’s a better plan than the old one.

Ultimately, the School Committee approved the plan, with several members noting that they aim to advocate for change at the legislative level.

PRAYER SPACE

Following inquiries from several School Committee members and students about space for prayer in schools, Langlais consulted legal representation. He found that the schools could designate prayer spaces, but there are numerous restrictions, and students must be supervised.

In providing a space, school staff could not participate, endorse or promote anything faith based. Religious activities could not be practiced during instructional time.

One challenge, Langlais said, is that the schools don’t have extra space to spare. Still, he said designating prayer spaces was possible.

A 2020 graduate of Lewiston High School said he would take 10-15 minutes every day during his lunch period to pray, as required by Islam. The problem was finding a private space, he said. Sometimes he ended up praying in a space underneath a staircase, but during winter, the space was too cold.

A local mosque leader, speaking through an interpreter, told the committee that all Muslims who are 15 years or older are required to pray five times each day. Missing a prayer is a “big sin, so they’re always worried, like, ‘what’s going to happen if I continue missing my prayers while I’m at school?'”

He asked that the School Committee allow students to practice their religion by creating a designated prayer space.

The School Committee took no action Monday, but said they would continue the discussion about prayer spaces.

In talking about future agenda items, Ward 5 representative Ashley Medina suggested the School Committee have a conversation with parents and students to learn more about bullying in schools. She cited discussions in the Facebook group Lewiston Rocks regarding parents’ opinions on bullying.

At-large representative Megan Parks suggested the school might invite parents and students to speak at forums. Langlais reminded the community that not every comment or post about bullying on social media is accurate.

During public comment, Jaye Rich, the president of the Lewiston Education Association and an English as a second language teacher at McMahon Elementary School, suggested that the School Committee consider adopting a land acknowledgement to recite at the start of their meetings.

A land acknowledgement is a brief statement which recognizes indigenous people as the original inhabitants of the land.

In other news, Interim Director of English Language Learning Lysa McLemore was promoted to the position permanently.