Parent urges Wyoming City schools to study Spanish immersion and dual-language programming

A parent asked the Wyoming Board of Education on Aug. 27 to direct its citizen advisory committee to study Spanish immersion and dual-language programming in primary grades, saying the district risks losing students’ home-language fluency without advanced options earlier in the curriculum.

Maldonado Fuller, introduced by the board as a parent of a second grader in the district, said her daughter — who entered the district fluent in Spanish — “is losing her confidence in speaking Spanish” and that families she has spoken with have chosen homeschooling or other options because of limited advanced language opportunities in the primary schools. “I call on the board to take the next step and provide additional learning opportunities for our students,” she said.

Fuller cited research she said supports dual-language programs, including a RAND Institute study she described as showing dual-language students outperformed peers on state reading measures by 13% by fifth grade and “20%–22%” by eighth grade. She also mentioned the Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State University and said the Ohio Department of Education’s visiting Spanish-teacher program could be a model for recruiting teachers who may stay up to five years.

The board thanked Fuller and invited written follow-ups; staff provided an email contact for community members to share resources and connections. No board action on program change was taken at the meeting; Fuller asked only that the topic be included for the citizen advisory committee to research this year.

Why it matters: Districts that add dual-language or immersion tracks must plan staffing, curriculum and temporary instructional space; proponents argue such programs can boost both English achievement and bilingual proficiency, while opponents often raise staffing or cost questions. Board members will see the request surface again if the citizen advisory committee places it on its agenda for study or recommendation.

What’s next: Fuller asked the board to place Spanish immersion and dual-language programming on the citizen advisory committee’s research agenda this school year; the board did not schedule immediate action. Community members who offered to help were told to send resources to the district contact provided at the meeting.

Sources and provenance: Fuller’s remarks were delivered during public comment (introduced by the board) and were recorded by the board as part of the Aug. 27 meeting transcript and video.