ROCK SPRINGS — Local community members raised concerns regarding the loss of support services for non-English speaking families during the Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, Aug. 10.
Hatziry Saenz, a sophomore at Western Wyoming Community College, addressed the board on behalf of local Hispanic and Latino families who recently lost their English Language Learner (ELL) parent liaison.
Saenz said she and other community members formed a committee to address the issue and met with SCSD No. 1 Superintendent Joe Libby. Saenz said Libby informed them the district currently lacks the funding to maintain the liaison position.
“We come here because we are worried,” Saenz told the board. “The help that our students and our parents were receiving was taken away.”
Saenz said many families rely heavily on an ELL parent liaison for support, particularly during challenging times and when dealing with complex school and community issues. She presented a petition to the board containing over 200 signatures requesting the district to reinstate or assist in funding the role.
“This is not just about translating for our people, but it’s also about helping us in this hard time,” Saenz said. “We hope that our district has more compassion for our Latin community.”
Speaking to the Rocket Miner, Saenz said many parents are unsure where to turn for assistance without a dedicated advocate who shares their language and cultural background. Having a liaison helps non-English speaking parents feel welcomed, seen, and connected to their children’s education. She also said her sister will be a freshman at Rock Springs High School and there is already some confusion regarding the upcoming school year.
“We hope they will take action,” Saenz said. “The liaison has helped families for years, and parents feel if the district has enough funding for other projects, they ought to help them keep their liaison.”
An English Language Learner parent liaison serves as a bridge between non-English speaking families and school administration, according to Saenz. Their responsibilities typically include translating official school documents and report cards, facilitating communication during parent-teacher conferences and special education meetings, and hosting workshops to guide parents through grading systems, standardized testing, and graduation requirements.
Without a liaison, local parents express concern that language barriers will create significant obstacles to advocating their children’s academic success and staying informed about district policies.
The Hispanic families in SCSD No. 1 hope political delegates like U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sen. Eric Barlow of Senate District 23 will be able to help.
LOSING FUNDING
In an email response to the Rocket Miner, Joseph Libby said ELL support services are vital to the families in the district, noting they help with interpretation, translation of communications, parent-teacher conferences, support at IEP/504 meetings, and participation in general school events.
“When federal funds are reduced and no other funding is available to backfill them, positions like these are affected” Libby said. “The district’s role is to support all students, and when funding tied specifically to a population is reduced, it’s understandable that families and staff can feel disheartened, even when that isn’t the intent.
“We take the support of all our students seriously.”
Libby added the district will continue to have interpretation support services within the district that families can access.
“We want to support our families, and we’ll continue to monitor our services to see if we need to find other resources to make that happen,” he said.
HER PERSPECTIVE
Monica Anderson served as an ELL parent liaison for SCSD No. 1 for nearly 20 years before taking a new position at a district elementary school. She said it breaks her heart knowing local families have lost that dedicated support.
“For the most part, they’re good people,” Anderson said. “They are family-oriented, and they are hard workers who came here wanting a better life.”
Addressing common community criticism about non-English speakers, Anderson said many people say parents aren’t trying to learn English after living in Sweetwater County for a few years. She urged the community to understand the daily reality these families face.
“They really want to learn, but a lot of them work all day. Sometimes they have two jobs to support their families,” Anderson said. “They want to learn, but they don’t have time to take classes or work toward citizenship. If they have the time, I know they can do it. That’s what people need to understand; they just don’t have time.”
