Parents, teachers and students urge Mount Diablo Unified board to pause plan to phase out Bancroft Spanish dual‑immersion program

At the Mount Diablo Unified School District board meeting on March 25, more than a dozen parents, teachers and students urged trustees to pause the district’s plan to phase out the two‑way Spanish dual‑immersion (TWDI) program at Bancroft Elementary, saying the decision was abrupt, harmed trust and risked the loss of experienced educators.

“My daughter was too old to join the two‑way dual immersion program… it’s more like a bait and switch,” parent Sarah Henley told the board. “Although I know that's not the intention, that is how it is experienced.”

Why it mattered: Parents and program advocates said the move could reduce bilingual pathways into higher‑performing Walnut Creek schools, disrupt sibling continuity and lower Latino enrollment at Bancroft. Several speakers said the timing and communication were inadequate and that a founding teacher who had served 12 years declined to return as a direct result.

Community demands and allegations: Speakers presented petitions, enrollment counts and legal concerns. Jessica Kielman said “more than 600 members of this community have signed a petition” to keep the program at Bancroft and asked the board to place the item on the April 22 agenda for fuller presentation. Molly Kina, representing incoming kindergarten families, said there are at least 21 inboundary incoming kindergartners requesting the program and that keeping a single kindergarten class at Bancroft would be cost neutral.

Several commenters framed the change as a process failure. “A pause is not optional. It is necessary to stop further damage and retain the educators who are critical to the program,” one parent testified. Another said the decision felt like a removal of long‑standing community resources without meaningful parental involvement.

Allegations of legal and civil‑rights concerns surfaced during public comment. Toni Ricchini warned the change could “reduce the enrollment of Latinos at Bancroft” and said the realignment raised concerns under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Speakers also said a March 4 district letter contained flawed data and that families had submitted a Prop 58 request seeking continued multilingual instruction.

District response and status: John Kelly, speaking for the Bancroft Dual Immersion Family Association, told trustees the district’s litigation counsel had confirmed the district “will not pause, will not negotiate, and will begin phasing out the Bancroft program next year,” and urged the board to use bylaw authorities (as cited by the speaker) to seek independent legal advice. Trustees did not take an action to pause the program at the March 25 meeting.

What families asked for: Speakers proposed compromises to preserve continuity — for example, keeping at least one TWDI class at Bancroft so siblings and inboundary students would not be forced to transfer — and asked the board to add a full agenda item for community presentation and response.

The board’s next step: The district did not vote on altering the program at the meeting. Parents asked the board to add the issue to the April 22 agenda; several speakers signaled they may pursue legislative or legal remedies if the district moves forward without additional community engagement.

The public comment period concluded without board action to pause the phase‑out.