Board reviews dual-language immersion data; DLI parents largely satisfied but district questions equity and cost

Provo School District staff presented a districtwide review of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs on March 28 and briefed the board on enrollment, staffing costs and preliminary academic comparisons. The presentation combined parent survey results, staffing allocations and comparative proficiency/growth data for DLI and nearby non‑DLI schools.

Superintendent Wendy Dowse and staff said parents who responded to a DLI parent survey reported strong satisfaction: roughly 76 percent of respondents rated the program an 8 or higher on a 1–10 scale and most indicated intent to keep their student in the program through the high‑school bridge sequence. Staff cautioned that the survey sample was DLI parents and that districtwide analyses prepared by research director Nate Mitchell are still in progress.

Staff identified budget and staffing implications: current policy requires maintaining two teachers per grade at DLI sites to support the two‑teacher model, which staff said requires about 12 additional FTE across the district at an estimated annual cost of $1,128,000 (calculated at $94,000 per FTE). District staff gave a site-level breakout of awarded FTE for 2025–26: Edgemont 5.5 FTE, Canyon Crest 2 FTE, Wasatch 3 FTE, Lakeview 1.5 FTE (Timpanogos noted as receiving no DLI FTE via DLI funding but eligible through equity allocation). Staff said each DLI grade‑level cohort is capped at 60 students.

Academic comparisons were mixed. Staff presented RISE and NWEA slices comparing DLI and non‑DLI peer schools (for example, Timpanogos vs. Franklin). In some cases non‑DLI schools outperformed DLI schools; staff emphasized that socioeconomic status (free/reduced lunch rates) showed a stronger correlation with proficiency and growth than program label, and that when a DLI site draws students from outside its attendance area (choice students) that can complicate comparisons. Staff also highlighted attrition tied to family choice: some invited students decline CAST or DLI offers; in CAST this affected gender balance, and in DLI parents sometimes keep children at home schools.

Board members asked for several follow-ups: district-level disaggregation of outcomes (Nate Mitchell will present a full analysis at the April board meeting), detailed cost breakdowns (what it costs district-wide to maintain the two-teacher DLI model; how out-of‑district students affect finances), and additional outreach to non-DLI families at DLI schools to describe their experiences. Board members also discussed program design tradeoffs (neighborhood-based DLI vs. consolidated DLI magnet sites) and the district asked for a timeline and scope for a subcommittee to study options.

Ending: Staff will present a fuller DLI outcome analysis and requested cost breakdowns at a future meeting; the board asked staff to prepare options for how DLI could be structured without immediate changes for fall enrollment.