The Multilingual and Multicultural Center oversees Portland Public Schools' English Language Acquisition Program for students whose home language is not English. To ensure equal access to educational opportunities for these students, the Center provides support services in the areas of classroom instruction, summer academic programs, staff development, curriculum and materials development, assessment, parent and community outreach, and advocacy.

Over the years, Portland's Multilingual community has grown exponentially and become increasingly more diverse. Currently, the district has over 1,800 students who come from homes where over 60 different languages are spoken. The students represent about 25% of Portland Public Schools' total enrollment; some 1,400 of them are identified as English Language Learners