The English Learning Center reached a new milestone at the end of March. Through 11 months of our 2024-2025 reporting year for state funding, we set a new record high for annual student attendance at 50,527 student hours. This is the second consecutive year of record-breaking attendance.   

The English Learning Center is a low-barrier program that works flexibly with students, leading to high rates of participation and a strong reputation that drives word-of-mouth referrals.   

During the first month of 2025, however, the English Learning Center saw a decrease of approximately 20% in student attendance hours compared to January 2024: the first significant drop in year-over-year attendance that our program has experienced in several years. Student hours were also down in February and March 2025, but by smaller margins (13% in February 2025 and 7% in March 2025).  

Though disheartening, the recent dip in attendance is unsurprising. Student attendance decreased by around 35% between 2016 and 2019 (during the previous Trump administration).   

As of April, the ELC is operating as normal while prioritizing security and adaptability for our students.  We are also exploring alternate pathways and opportunities to be accessible to more adult learners.