Gwinnett schools spending more on interpreters

A decade ago, about 29 percent of Gwinnett students spoke a language other than English at home. Today, it’s 37 percent, district officials say.

That increase, and federal requirements to better serve families who speak little or no English, has resulted in Gwinnett spending more money on interpretation services, school district officials say. School board members are scheduled Thursday to increase its maximum budget for those services to $1.5 million, three times what it spent last school year.

Gwinnett officials stress the $1.5 million is a cushion if the need is greater than they anticipate.