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District 65 committee recommends Nichols as site for second dual-language middle school
Summary
A stakeholder advisory process (SAP 3) recommended Nichols Middle School as the location for District 65’s next dual‑language middle school program, to begin in the 2026–27 school year; the district will begin implementation planning immediately.
District 65’s SAP 3 committee recommended on April 7 that Nichols Middle School host the district’s second dual-language middle school program in fall 2026–27. The recommendation follows a three-meeting review of enrollment projections, family interest surveys and school readiness indicators and was presented by district staff overseeing multilingual education.
Amy (multilingual program lead) and Kim Kelly, multilingual coordinator, described the committee’s rubric used to weigh enrollment, family interest and readiness (including the district’s 5Essentials and dual-language guiding principles). Cecilia (district staff) summarized the data: Nichols was projected to serve the largest number of current Tweed Spanish-speaking students when the district’s new middle school openings were considered, and survey responses showed 68% of respondents said they would continue in a dual-language middle school if it were available in their neighborhood.
Committee members prioritized serving the most students and location; readiness metrics favored Schuht (a different middle school), but that advantage did not outweigh enrollment and location considerations in the scoring. The committee’s final recommendation therefore favored Nichols. Principal Fishman of Nichols was in the audience and expressed support, and district staff said implementation work will include professional development for a cohort of dual-language middle school teachers, administrator learning, curriculum planning, family outreach and letters to Nichols families and staff the following morning.
District staff described the next steps as regular planning meetings between central office and Nichols administration, development of curriculum and program structure, staff and family communications, and preparation of teacher cohorts and professional learning. The recommendation is an administrative decision informed by the SAP 3 process; staff will move into implementation planning for the 2026–27 roll‑out.
No formal board vote on site selection was recorded at the April 7 Committee of the Whole meeting; staff presented the committee recommendation and described the implementation timeline.
