McKinney ISD board approves Caldwell Dual Language Academy, rezones Finch and portion of Webb

The McKinney Independent School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 25 approved a reorganization that will create the Caldwell Dual Language Academy, convert Finch Elementary to serve primarily monolingual students and move a southern portion of the Webb attendance zone into Finch, district administrators said.

District staff said the plan concentrates emergent bilingual students into Caldwell to rebuild enrollment and program efficiency while shifting monolingual students into Finch so those classes have adequate peer cohorts and teacher collaboration time. The board voted in favor of the proposal by voice vote after public comment from dozens of parents, teachers and students.

District officials said sustaining the two‑way dual language program at Caldwell requires a larger, more balanced mix of emergent bilingual and Spanish‑learner students. "The dual language program is successful, and it does support our English language learners," Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Dennis Womack said, summarizing the program review that led to the recommendation.

The proposal moves roughly 50 students from the southern portion of the Webb zone into Finch; staff estimated about three of those students are emergent bilinguals. Womack said the shift would increase Finch's projected enrollment closer to about 400 students and stabilize Caldwell's bilingual cohort so the district can restore 50/50 two‑way classroom ratios that staff called important for peer language learning.

Becky Jackson, who presented accountability implications, said staff modeled the change using beginning‑of‑year MAP projections to estimate state assessment impacts before any instruction this year. She reported that the recalculated Domain 1 scaled scores for both Caldwell and Finch showed "very little impact" on current accountability measures.

District bilingual program staff described a multi‑year rollout. "For the first year, kinder and first will immediately be a two‑way," the program presenter said, adding the district will continue to transition additional grades until Caldwell operates fully as a two‑way academy. Staff also said parents who had been on the dual program wait list will receive priority for newly available seats; administrators estimated about 21 kindergarten and 11 first‑grade families had indicated interest at the time of the presentation.

Transportation arrangements were described for students living near Finch who will be assigned to Caldwell: shuttle buses will transport students between Finch and Caldwell so families in walking zones will continue to have an option that does not require a long walk to a new campus.

The decision followed an extended public comment period in which dozens of parents, students and community members urged the board either to pause rezoning or to preserve access to the dual language program. Speakers described both logistical concerns (transportation, access for walking families) and equity concerns (community ties and access to bilingual instruction). Board members and staff acknowledged those concerns and said the district will conduct outreach, parent meetings and transition activities to ease the move.

Board President Hassler called for the motion to approve the recommendation, which was seconded and approved on a voice vote. The board asked administration to report back on transition supports for affected families and to provide regular updates on enrollment and program access.

Votes at a glance: Caldwell Dual Language Academy / Finch monolingual program / Webb attendance adjustment — motion approved by voice vote (mover/second not specified in public audio).