Parents say Duluth Spanish immersion split created class-size inequities and a windowless third-grade classroom

Several parents asked the Duluth School Board during an October listening session to correct what they described as inequities created when the district split the Nueva Avision Spanish immersion program between Myers-Wilkins and Lowell elementary schools.

Diana Dukich, a parent in the program, told the board, “It's not just a curriculum, it's a bridge between cultures, a celebration of language and a source of pride for families like ours.” She said families were told the move would keep the program “1 unified program” but that class sizes and resources now differ significantly between the two sites.

The requests parents brought to the board included: a plan to ensure equity and consistent class sizes and resources across both schools; creation of a Nueva Avision advisory group with parents, teachers and district staff to increase transparency and rebuild trust; and a long-term vision developed with the board to define success for the program.

Parents described concrete differences in early-grade class sizes. John Dukich, who distributed a handout to the board, said the district presentation at the Oct. 7 Committee of the Whole had characterized the two sites as largely similar, but his section-by-section comparison showed substantial gaps. “In kindergarten, there are 25 students at Myers compared to an on average 17 and a half at Lowell. That's a 43% difference,” Dukich said. He reported similar disparities in first through third grades, with third grade cited as 28 students at Myers versus 19 at Lowell — a 47% difference.

Several parents raised concerns about a third-grade classroom at Myers-Wilkins that they said is windowless and crowded. Monica Haines said her child’s classroom of “27 students in a small room without windows” has made it hard for students to focus. “She tells us it's loud, hard to focus and that her teacher has to be very strict to keep the class under control,” Haines said.

Andre Watt, a family with two students in the immersion program, told the board that families were told the split would remain “a unified equitable program across the 2 campuses,” but that in practice transfers have been permitted from Lowell to Myers-Wilkins and not the reverse, which he said worsens the imbalance. Watt and others asked the district to consider open enrollment at both sites with a lottery to even out class sizes.

Parents also questioned the district’s messaging about expansion and access. John Dukich said that although the change was presented as an expansion to broaden access, the Myers-Wilkins kindergarten was already at capacity and the district’s own data showed many students at Myers were from the Myers boundary — pointing to a redistribution of seats rather than net expansion.

Speakers asked the board for clearer answers and for regular reporting on class sizes and student experience across both campuses. Several said they appreciated some district efforts but wanted greater transparency and consistent oversight to ensure the program remains equitable.

The board did not take formal action during the listening session. Parents asked for follow-up and additional public reporting; several cited the Oct. 7 presentation and urged the board to respond directly to families’ questions and to consider a family survey to measure the impact of the transition.