District showcases SPLASH dual‑language immersion; applications open March 10

Rockingham County Schools administrators and teachers described the district’s SPLASH dual‑language immersion program at Bethany and Stoneville during the Feb. 24 work session and announced the application window for 2025‑26 will open March 10 at 6 p.m.

Casey Pruitt and colleagues said SPLASH provides full immersion for young learners: kindergarten and first grade receive about 90% of instruction in Spanish (with specials in English), and grades 2–5 receive about 80% instruction in Spanish and 20% in English. Staff said the program aims for bilingualism, biliteracy and bicultural competence by the end of elementary school.

Administrators presented three‑year assessment comparisons showing SPLASH students outperforming traditional peers in most targets; the presenters highlighted a three‑year average reading difference of roughly 16.5 percentage points favoring immersion students in one comparison noted during the presentation. Stoneville and Bethany staff offered specific proficiency examples — for example, a fifth‑grade SPLASH science proficiency cited at 80% compared with 64.5% for the rest of the grade — and said teachers collaborate across schools and grades to support student learning.

Immersion teachers come from multiple Spanish‑speaking countries, staff said, and some teachers participate through an exchange program administered by Participate Learning (formerly VIF). Administrators noted the program’s extracurricular and community events — such as a Hispanic Christmas celebration that grew from about 15 participants to 400 — as part of the program’s cultural outreach.

Enrollment details: the district will operate SPLASH by lottery; the online application for the 2025‑26 school year is posted on the district website and will open at 6 p.m. on March 10. The program currently accepts kindergarten and first‑grade applications if space allows; administrators said both Bethany and Stoneville have openings in those early grades and encouraged tours and visits.

Why it matters: district officials said student achievement data support the immersion model and encouraged families to apply when the application window opens. Administrators emphasized that SPLASH students take state assessments in English and that the program’s performance data indicate strong English reading outcomes in addition to Spanish proficiency.

Next steps: applications open March 10 at 6 p.m.; district marketing and outreach will include billboards, flyers and targeted tours. Administrators encouraged families to contact the schools for tours and information.