Board to consider consolidating South Davis junior-high French immersion program with Mueller Park after public hearing

Davis School District secondary staff recommended the school board consider consolidating the French dual-language-immersion (DLI) program at South Davis Junior High with neighboring Mueller Park Junior High, citing low enrollment and feeder-pattern challenges. Chris Keim, a secondary director, said the board initiated a study in July and the district is presenting findings and a recommendation to close South Davis’s French DLI and consolidate it at Mueller Park.

Nut graf: The study cites operational and instructional concerns arising from very small enrollments at the junior-high level (South Davis had nine DLI students this year versus 106 at Mueller Park), teacher staffing and pacing difficulties when levels must be combined, and feeder-pattern misalignment (Mueller Park feeders feed Bountiful High where the program’s capstone exists, while South Davis feeds Woods Cross High). Keim said community input so far has been limited but mixed; staff will hold a public hearing and then bring a final recommendation to the board.

Keim said community relations will issue notices and hold a public hearing Oct. 23 at South Davis Junior High; the board will accept public comment at business meetings Oct. 7 and Nov. 18 and is anticipated to vote on the recommendation at the Nov. 18 meeting. He said as of the afternoon of Oct. 1 a digital feedback link had produced eight responses: three preferred Spanish over French, two were unaware of the program, one noted low community interest and another urged better promotion.

Keim described supports the district provided during the study, including half an FTE this year to South Davis to maintain programming while the study proceeded, and said the consolidation recommendation is intended to make instruction more sustainable and improve student experience and teacher workload by grouping adequate class sizes. He said consolidating is a placement transfer (a specialty-program placement) so affected families would get automatic placement into the Mueller Park pathway but would be responsible for transportation or a magnet-slot commute.

Ending: The district will send mailed and emailed notices to affected parents and municipalities and hold the Oct. 23 public hearing. No board action was taken at the workshop; staff recommended the consolidation be considered by the board following the hearing and additional community comment.