OGDEN -- Bonneville and T.O. Smith elementary schools will offer Spanish-speaking dual immersion programs this fall.
The Ogden City School District received a $20,000 state grant to get the program started, and if it is successful, it will add schools into the mix every year.
The program will be started only in kindergarten and first grades for two classes at each school. Each year, another grade will be added to the program.
District curriculum director Greg Lewis told the school board recently administrators wanted to have a school in the north and south ends of the district start the program.
A survey was sent out to elementary students' parents to gauge interest in the program and find out which language parents want their children to learn.
Lewis then looked at the capacity of each school to hold the program.
Bonneville was determined to be the best candidate for the north end, but Wasatch, Shadow Valley and T.O. Smith were all viable candidates in the south end.
Wasatch was quickly ruled out because of the limited physical space and the number of portable classrooms already in use there.
T.O. Smith had the most parental support, but school administrators asked to wait a year to begin.
Lewis suggested Shadow Valley would be the best choice.
"I have a concern with regard to the emphasis," said board president Don Belnap.
Shadow Valley is already a science magnet school. Belnap said the dual immersion program is not a magnet, but having two special emphases in one school is a concern.
Only 17 parents showed interest in the program at Shadow Valley, but more than 30 parents showed interest at T.O. Smith.
"I have a concern about the program in general," said board member Jennifer Zundel. "We do have a large amount of struggling students. Will this program cause more struggling?"
"It's really just the opposite," Lewis said.
He believes acquiring a second language is natural for students and thinks it is more of a help than a hindrance for struggling students.
Zundel proposed trying it at Bonneville, which has more struggling students, and at Shadow Valley, which has fewer struggling students, then seeing which school has more success.
The board was divided 4-3, with Shane Story, Rick Noorda and Zundel voting against starting the program at Bonneville and T.O. Smith.
Lewis said T.O. Smith would need a lot of help and support but that starting the dual immersion program there next year would be "doable."
The program features half a day taught using only Spanish and the other half a day using only English.
No new teachers will be hired, but teachers will be shifted around to accommodate what is needed for the two kindergarten and first-grade classes in each school.
"We need teachers who know how to speak good, academic Spanish," Lewis said.
In addition, he said, the English-speaking teachers will have to be adaptable and good team players.
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