Wabash board votes to phase out DLI, replace it with Spanish language-and-culture classes for all OJ students

WABASH, Ind. '026 '1 (May 4) '026 '026 '026

The Wabash City Schools Board of Education voted May 4 to transition the district's Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program into a universal Spanish language-and-culture offering at OJ, accepting administration's recommendation to phase DLI out over several years while allowing current DLI students to continue through graduation.

District administrators told the board the recommendation was driven by three financial pressures: declining enrollment, a state-mandated rise in minimum teacher salary, and projected reductions in property-tax-related operations revenue. "When our enrollment drops, that means we get less money into our [education] fund," the superintendent said in the presentation, and the district has moved from a $42,000 minimum teacher salary toward a required $45,000 level.

The administration presented enrollment and cost data to the board. According to the presentation, 172 students were enrolled in DLI across the district last year; 75 of those students (about 43.6 percent) attend from outside the district, generating roughly $581,000 in tuition-related state basic supports but producing transportation and program costs paid from the district's operations account. Administrative figures shown to the board listed teacher salary costs for DLI at $373,850 and total salary-plus-benefits at about $584,000 for the current staffing model. Administrators projected fiscal pressure from a state rollback provision that could reduce levy revenue and estimated a potential operations revenue shortfall in coming years.

To balance program goals with finances, the district will not immediately end current students' participation. "If a student has started in DLI, we are not stopping the program," the superintendent told the board, adding that the district would not start DLI in first grade next year and would phase it out as cohorts advance. The district recommended hiring a part-time teacher or teaching para to provide Spanish language-and-culture instruction for all OJ grade levels in 2026-27, with further staffing adjustments later as the program phases.

Administrators also discussed academic concerns driving the shift. They said students in the DLI program performed well conversationally but struggled on the grammar-focused placement assessments used by Indiana University regional programs, limiting dual-credit placement for many students. The administration proposed strengthening seventh- and eighth-grade instruction to better prepare students for college-level Spanish placement.

Board members asked about class-size thresholds, staffing impacts and whether the district could still attract certified DLI teachers given higher pay in larger districts. Administrators said they intended to retain current DLI teachers where possible, would not replace one DLI teacher position at OJ when it is vacated, and planned scheduling tweaks at OJ and the middle/high schools so students retain elective options and the district can offer dual-credit paths for high-performing students.

The motion to approve the recommendation passed by voice vote. Next steps identified by the administration include hiring the part-time instructor/para for 2026-27, finalizing scheduling, and continuing dual-credit coordination with regional partners.

What happens next: The board said it will implement the phase-out over multiple years so existing DLI classmates can complete the sequence; staffing and budget adjustments will be reflected in the district's 2026-27 planning documents and staffing postings.