The Cache County School District board voted Nov. 20 to keep the district's Spanish Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program at South Cache Middle School and to provide up to four years of district-funded busing for families in Nibley who would otherwise lose walking access.

Superintendent Todd McKee presented the board with a range of options the district had considered — keeping the program at South Cache, splitting the program between South Cache and the new Maple View Middle School, hybrid/remote models, relocating the program to Maple View, and retaining sixth grade at elementary schools. McKee recommended retaining Spanish DLI at South Cache while offering up to four years of busing to affected families as the best balance among staffing feasibility, cost and long-term sustainability.

Several parents urged the board to weigh stability and student safety. Heather Holmes, a Spanish DLI parent, said parents were still waiting for answers about how busing would work and raised a safety concern about a reported 30‑minute wait for buses after school. "This is a huge safety concern that needs to be considered if this is an option before a vote takes place," she said. Another parent, Holly Johnson, a long‑time DLI family, asked why the district would not hire one teacher to place the program at the new middle school, saying, "If we are going to spend $102,000,000 in building these 2 new schools, why can we not spend $85,000 and hire 1 single teacher?" Johnson warned losing walking access could push students out of the program.

Board members discussed equity and access across the district, staffing burdens in DLI versus non‑DLI classrooms, and the cost tradeoffs of hiring staff versus providing transportation. One board member noted the district must consider ripple effects across other language programs. Board member comments and the superintendent emphasized that no option was perfect and that the recommended plan aimed to minimize disruption while preserving access.

The motion to accept the superintendent's recommendation passed by electronic vote, five in favor and one opposed. The board instructed district staff to implement the busing plan and monitor results, with the option to adjust details based on operational experience.

Next steps include finalizing routes, communicating timelines and registration details to families, and returning to the board with implementation updates as requested in the district's DLI committee process.