The Virginia Beach School Board voted 9–1 on Nov. 10 to continue the division’s Spanish dual‑language immersion (DLI) middle‑school program at a single site — Virginia Beach Middle School — ‘‘based on student interest to fully implement the Spanish immersion program at each grade level with fidelity,’’ trustee Margaret Rogers said when she moved the substitute motion.

Crystal Wilkerson, director of K–12 and gifted programs, presented administration concerns that prompted a consolidation recommendation: the program faces ‘‘significant staffing challenges with its current model, especially in recruiting qualified bilingual teachers,’’ she said, and warned those gaps already forced the elimination of one immersion course. Wilkerson told trustees there were four current DLI vacancies as of Nov. 6 and 18 Spanish/DLI teachers holding provisional licenses (11 secondary, 7 elementary). She said the elementary program has 27 FTE teachers devoted to DLI and middle school currently has 3 FTEs.

Families, students and staff packed the chamber and asked the board to preserve the program. One student urged trustees: "Please find a home for our program." Multiple parents described academic gains, cultural benefits and the program’s role in workforce readiness and local tourism, and asked for a parent advisory committee to guide decisions.

Trustee Rogers said removing the caveat about ‘‘available staffing’’ was intended to rebuild trust after parents expressed frustration with communication, adding the board would still ‘‘do everything we can to get that staffing.’’ Wilkerson and Superintendent Robertson told the board they would return with staffing and enrollment updates at the summer retreat and that any implementation for the 2027–28 school year would depend on both student demand and staffing to meet a classroom floor (administrators said the middle‑school floor would be about 20 students per section).

The substitute motion passed after discussion and amendments. Chair Kathleen Brown then directed staff to present a plan and public updates at the division’s summer retreat.

What happens next: the administration will monitor staffing and enrollment, provide updates to the board at the summer retreat and include schedule options in course selection materials if enrollment and staffing allow the consolidated program to run.