Jefferson County Public Schools effort to provide language support for all of its students, families and employees has resulted in a national award. LanguageLine Solutions (LLS) has named JCPS its Client of the Year, the first school district or government agency to win this award, according to LLS.
“We are honored to partner with JCPS in their mission to support international families and foster inclusivity,” said Kelly A. Mistry, LLS strategic account executive. “Their commitment to bridging language barriers ensures that every family has the opportunity to engage and thrive within the school community. Together, we are making a meaningful impact by creating equitable access to education and district programs for all.”
LLS is one of the largest interpretation companies in the world, providing interpretation and translation services for scores of companies and organizations, including JCPS. More than 150 languages are spoken in JCPS whose multilingual population has rapidly grown to more than 20,000 students. That number includes multilingual learners who are currently receiving English language development instruction and those who have reached English proficiency. JCPS Language Services also provides services to thousands of students’ family members who need help with lingual communication.
From July to December of SY 2024-2025, the school district had 66,000 interactions with parents, guardians, students and employees that required on-demand interpretation services, which includes Audio and Video Remote interpreters. LLS cited JCPS’ decade-long partnership, contributions to improve their services, advocacy for JCPS international populations and willingness to pilot new programs as reasons JCPS received the award.
In addition to providing on-demand interpretation, JCPS Language Services Department provides other supports for families who prefer to communicate in their native language including:
In-Person Interpretation
Scheduled Virtual Interpretation
Document Translation
“As an immigrant myself, I understand the importance of having reliable interpreting services.” said Livan Lima, ML School and Community Support Specialist. “This award is validation that, in collaboration with LLS, we have revolutionized language access in JCPS. By providing on-demand interpretation, we are bridging the language gap with our international families, allowing them to understand and fully participate in district programs and activities.”