Pasco recommends Descubre (core) and Somos (supplement) for Spanish, brings French adoption forward; Japanese recommendation pending

District staff presented recommendations to the Pasco School Board for new world language instructional materials, recommending Descubre as the core Spanish curriculum and Somos as a supplemental program, and recommending a French curriculum. A Japanese curriculum recommendation is expected later in the year.

"Descubre provides a comprehensive standards aligned foundation for Spanish language instruction," the world language adoption presenter said, and Somos was recommended as a supplement to bring in additional proficiency‑focused, culturally relevant materials. The presenter noted the committee completed required adoption components for Spanish and French and will bring the Japanese recommendation once the review is complete.

Board members asked about cost and implementation. The presenter said the district had not yet received full pricing for Descubre, which typically includes textbooks and online access and may be more expensive; she reported that Somos is a digital resource with a one‑time cost of $400 per teacher. The presenter estimated about 15–16 teachers would require access to Somos.

Next steps: staff will place the recommendations on a consent agenda for board approval at the next meeting and will develop an implementation plan with professional development, pacing guides and alignment to updated standards. The Japanese adoption will be presented to the board before the end of the school year.