Utica Community Schools Serves Students from a Variety of Backgrounds

Dr. Christine Johns serves as superintendent of Utica Community Schools, a 36-school district located in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Dr. Christine Johns’ role as superintendent requires her to preside over a student population that contains individuals from a variety of backgrounds.

Ninety percent of the student population in Utica Community Schools is white, and 4 percent is African-American. Asian students make up 3 percent of the population, Latino students account for 1.8 percent, and non-white minorities make up the remaining 1.2 percent.

Utica Community Schools serves almost 1,000 students who fall into the category of English language learners. Collectively, these students speak 46 different languages. Utica’s English Learner (EL) program emphasizes teaching students who are learning English to improve their skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. They are also given guidance on how to strategize academically.

The EL program often serves bilingual students, but many students enrolled in the program actually come into it knowing several languages.