Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $2.3 Million in K-12 Language Learning Program Grants

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $2.3 Million in K-12 Language Learning Program Grants Funds support English learner programs and increase the number of qualified bilingual education and ESL teachers  EVERETT – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that it is awarding over $2.3 million in grant funding to 32 school districts and charter schools to strengthen multilingual programming in school settings, including world language, heritage language, and English learner programs. Heritage languages are languages other than English used in homes, communities and families. This funding promotes inclusive, supportive and culturally sustaining learning environments for all students. “In Massachusetts, we want all students to succeed, regardless of zip code or circumstance. This funding helps create inclusive and high-quality learning environments for all students, particularly multilingual learners,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Residents of Massachusetts speak a wide variety of languages, either in addition to or instead of English,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “These grants enable districts to create programs that best align with their students’ needs and are an investment in our future workforce.” The Proficiency Outcomes in World Languages grant program supports school district engagement in local and state world language advisory teams that inform new tools and recommendations for schools and educators. It also enables implementation of high-quality world language assessments and analysis of course-taking patterns to identify gaps in student access and opportunity. The English Learner Education Support grant program enables school districts to develop and/or implement an alternative bilingual English learner education program, as well as develop or enrich high-quality curricular materials. Further, districts can use the funding to create or expand their own bilingual education hub and/or English as a second language (ESL) teacher hub. These hubs improve the bilingual education educator pipeline, share knowledge to accelerate the adoption of proven and recognized programmatic models for English learners, and develop successful models that can be replicated for years to come. They also provide training alongside a mentor teacher and concurrent coursework in the area of ESL licensure. “We know that schools need to give students multiple routes to multilingualism, and these grants provide districts with the funding and support they need to make that happen,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “It also helps increase the cultural and linguistic diversity of the workforce, which benefits all students.” “This funding will help districts move closer to DESE’s Educational Vision of helping all students be known and valued, making learning relevant and interactive, and giving students the individualized supports they need to succeed,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “Effective language instruction is an important piece.” In 2025, Governor Healey signed the Protect Education Equity Bill, adding guarantees to the right to a public education in Massachusetts for all students regardless of their immigration or citizenship status. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released heritage languages guidance (download) and a best practices manual (download) in June that detail legal requirements for implementing a heritage languages program and provide robust ideas, examples, and vignettes of important practices in these programs and courses. The FY26 Proficiency Outcomes in World Languages grant recipients are: Everett Public Schools: $46,375 Hadley Public Schools: $29,790 Hingham Public Schools: $19,993 Hudson Public Schools: $16,538 Medford Public Schools: $12,000 Methuen Public Schools: $23,710 Milford Public Schools: $25,060 Newburyport Public Schools: $16,060 Newton Public Schools: $36,348 Northborough-Southborough Public Schools: $27,000 Salem Public Schools: $14,400 Scituate Public Schools: $4,557 Sharon Public Schools: $9,950 Shrewsbury Public Schools: $13,510 Somerville Public Schools: $31,000 South Shore Charter: $17,808 Watertown Public Schools: $14,504 Westborough Public Schools: $8,450 Worcester Public Schools: $27,539 The FY26 English Learner Education Support grant recipients are: Agawam Public Schools: $36,000 Amherst Public Schools: $62,918 Amherst-Pelham Public Schools: $57,380 Brockton Public Schools: $264,755 Greenfield Public Schools: $15,000 Lawrence Public Schools: $82,000 Lynn Public Schools: $435,500 MATCH Charter (in Boston): $30,000 Maynard Public Schools: $34,200 Milford Public Schools: $4,320 North Attleboro Public Schools: $34,248 Norton Public Schools: $30,681 Salem Public Schools: $38,545 Southbridge Public Schools: $441,130 Springfield Public Schools: $187,395 Taunton Public Schools: $50,000 Worcester Public Schools: $58,566