Board hears plan to transition DLI programs to magnet model; timeline and boundary notices ahead

Derek and John presented a multi-year transition plan Aug. 7 to convert the district’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs to a magnet-school model and to align secondary-language pathways across high schools. Nut Graf: The proposal is procedural and intended to preserve program pathways while addressing enrollment, retention and long-term sustainability. Staff emphasized gradual moves, parent notification and coordination with facilities and boundary recommendations before final board action. The presenters said magnet designation would begin with kindergarten and first-grade lotteries as early as January to reduce mid-course disruptions. Staff recommended Spring Creek and Cedar Ridge as DLI magnet elementary sites and outlined secondary alignments by language: Portuguese through the magnet site into North Cache and Sky View; Chinese at the magnet site into Hyde Park and Green Canyon; French through the magnet into Nibley and Ridgeline; Spanish through the magnet into South Cache and Mountain Crest, with a staged transfer of DLI5 Spanish coursework to Mountain Crest across multiple years. John described the staged timeline so juniors and seniors could complete bridge/AP opportunities at Ridgeline as Mountain Crest phased in later grade cohorts, and he noted students could dual-enroll or take AP Spanish at Ridgeline to prepare for college-credit options. Board members raised traffic and community-notification concerns for Spring Creek and Cedar Ridge if magnet schools do not provide busing; a board member noted “a tremendous amount of additional car traffic” and asked that mayors, city councils and families be informed. Derek said the facility advisory committee had made boundary recommendations and that formal notices would go to families, mayors and councils starting Aug. 11 and precede a September public hearing. Several members emphasized minimizing disruption for current students and families, preserving access to a language option at each high school, and monitoring enrollment and teacher supports as the plan rolls out. Ending: The committee recommended the board accept the transition plan and move forward to formal notice and hearings; the board did not take a final vote on program relocation at the Aug. 7 meeting.