The Wright City R-II School District is offering individualized attention to students who are learning English as a second language.The district has experienced rapid growth over the past decade and a continual climb the past three years. It is one of five districts in the state with at least 7 percent of its student population learning English as a second language. It draws similar exclusivity with having 16 percent of its students on an individualized education plan.“When you consider the English learning language, it can be very difficult,” said Superintendent Dr. David Buck. “We’ve got 24 immigrants from Guatemala. So it’s not like they’re just learning a new language, but they’re learning a whole new concept of language.”Buck said there is no clear explanation for the rise in students from non-English backgrounds, but the district has had to vamp up its staff to meet the demand.“We have an English language learner director and have added another staff to that as well,” said Buck. “We’re trying to do English-based learning as much as possible and teach those kids at a reasonable rate.”Buck said the district has found it much easier to help younger students adapt.“If we get them in kindergarten, they tend to pick it up fast,” said Buck. “Once they get into high school, it becomes very tough for us.”Concerning the challenges faced by students with an individualized education plan also means additional manpower in the district.“We’ve hired eight people over the last three years to meet these needs,” said Buck. “We’re going to add another regular education teacher on top of the special education teacher.”Wright City School District logo