ESL: English as a Second Language

Student in the classroom smiling for the camera

English as a Second Language (ESL) Program for the English Learner

Buncombe County Schools has over 2,000 English Learners in K-12th grade. There is a beautiful blend of culturally and linguistically diverse students with over 70 home languages spoken across our district. Spanish is the home language for the majority of ELs in BCS. Other top languages include Arabic, Chinese, Moldovan, Russian, and Ukrainian. 

Program Goals
Buncombe County Public Schools strives to maintain an ESL Program that works in conjunction with the wider school system to provide equal educational opportunities for students with diverse language backgrounds.  

All second language students have equal access to content, facilities, and the full range of programs offered by BCS.   To ensure that we are able to effectively serve our students, BCS employs highly qualified, licensed ESL teachers. Our district works to help meet the unique cultural and socioeconomic needs of our English Learners (EL). 

Mission Statement
The English as a Second Language Program seeks to make Buncombe County Schools a welcoming environment for English Language learners and their families. Our program aims to provide quality and challenging instruction for all students that promotes academic excellence while supporting English language development.  BCS works to encourage the maintenance of   students' native languages and cultures as they strengthen and enrich our learning communities.