Enrollment down, scores at record high for Lewiston’s multilingual students

Lewiston’s multilingual program sees drop in enrollment but record‑high test gains

Lewiston, Maine – The city’s public schools are experiencing a paradox: the number of students who speak a language other than English is falling, yet the same group is achieving its best performance yet on the WIDA Access Test, the state’s key benchmark for English‑language proficiency.

At a Lewiston School Committee meeting last week, district administrator Lysa McLemore presented data that shows a decline of roughly 200 students in the multilingual enrollment this school year, bringing the count to 1,796. “The scores were the highest I’ve seen in my 14 years with the district,” McLemore told the committee. She added that 143 students have earned an “exit” status, meaning they no longer need to take the multilingual program.

The trend is not isolated to Lewiston. Portland, the state’s largest district, reports a similar shift: multilingual enrollment dropped from about 2,000 in 2023‑24 to 1,629 this year. Both districts had seen steady growth over the previous four years before the recent reversal. In contrast, the state as a whole has seen its multilingual population climb from 5,145 in 2016 to 8,004 in 2024, making up 4.7 % of Maine’s total student body—a figure that has increased even as overall enrollment has slipped.

Why the numbers are changing

McLemore explained that the decline appears to stem mainly from families relocating between districts—both within Maine and to neighboring states. “The majority of students who have left or enrolled in the Lewiston schools this year have relocated to, or from, other school districts, both within Maine and out of state,” she said. The shift has prompted speculation about broader migration patterns.

Portland superintendent Ryan Scanlon has suggested that a slowdown in new immigrant arrivals could be at play. “We had the influx of students in the 2023‑2024 school year where students were new to Maine and new to Portland. That flow stopped. There’s been a significant reduction in immigrant movement to Maine and to the United States as a whole,” Scanlon told a board meeting as the district worked on its budget. While Maine’s most recent immigration data only goes through 2023, national statistics released earlier this year indicate a historic decline in international migration to the U.S.

In neighboring districts such as Biddeford, Westbrook, and South Portland, the number of multilingual students has continued to grow, suggesting a possible shift in where families choose to settle. A spokesperson for the Maine Department of Education said the agency could not pinpoint the exact causes because it does not survey families directly.

The WIDA Access Test: a silver lining

The WIDA Access Test, administered to English learners from kindergarten through 12th grade, measures progress in reading, listening, writing, and speaking. While the state’s average exit rate has varied—8.9 % in 2021‑22, 7.8 % in 2023, 7.5 % in 2024, and rising to 8.8 % in 2025—Lewiston’s rate stands at 7 %. McLemore noted that, despite being below the state average, the 7 % exit rate is the highest she has seen in her tenure. “That’s the most students we have exited in as long as I can remember. Maybe ever,” she said.

McLemore believes that two key factors have contributed to the stronger performance. The district has rolled out a new curriculum specifically tailored to multilingual learners, and staff have received “a significant amount” of professional development focused on evidence‑based teaching strategies for English‑language learners. “We’re doing a good job in making decisions about curriculum and resource adapting so it aligns with the needs of multilingual and English speakers,” she added.

Looking ahead

The Lewiston‑Portland pattern—enrollment falling in the two largest districts while statewide numbers rise—raises questions about the future of multilingual education in Maine. As families move to other districts and as national immigration trends shift, schools may need to adjust capacity, staffing, and resources to accommodate changing student demographics.

Meanwhile, the district’s success on the WIDA Access Test offers a promising counterpoint. If the new curriculum and targeted professional development can be sustained and expanded, Lewiston could continue to produce high‑performing English learners even as enrollment numbers fluctuate.

Maine’s Department of Education has said it remains focused on tracking these trends, though it acknowledges the difficulty of understanding family relocation decisions without direct survey data. As the 2025‑26 school year approaches, educators, parents, and policymakers will watch closely to see whether the city’s multilingual program can maintain its recent gains amid an evolving student landscape.