Beloit board limits dual‑language immersion to K–4 at two schools for 2026–27 after staffing shortfall

The Beloit School District board voted 6–1 on March 17 to limit the district’s dual‑language immersion (DLI) program for the 2026–27 school year to kindergarten through fourth grade at two elementary schools, Todd and Hackett, eliminating immersion at Robinson and at the middle‑school level for the coming year. Amy Levy cast the lone dissenting vote.

The decision followed more than an hour of public comment from parents, teachers and university faculty who urged the board to preserve DLI pathways through middle school. Commenters described DLI as a driver of enrollment and bilingual proficiency and warned that ending middle‑school immersion would force families to move their children or leave the district. Parent David Ramirez told the board he came “to fight for something that I believe” and warned that losing the program could prompt increased community protest and family departures.

Administrators and teachers framed the board’s action as a staffing decision, not a funding cut. Superintendent Dr. Anderson and program staff said the district lacks sufficient Department of Public Instruction‑certified bilingual teachers who can meet Wisconsin’s licensing requirements (including a reading assessment commonly called the FOR test) to sustain K–8 immersion across multiple sites. “This is not a money problem,” Dr. Anderson told the board. “It is solely a staffing problem. Biliterate, certified teachers are unicorns right now.”

At a committee meeting and in the public packet, staff proposed models that would maintain full program integrity where personnel exist and consolidate elementary sections where they do not. Board member Joanne Rue said the district must prioritize program quality for the students still enrolled: “When we find a unicorn, you keep them.” Early‑grade teachers urged the board that the 50/50 split co‑teaching model (one Spanish, one English teacher, often with students switching classrooms midday) is central to the program’s success.

Board members balanced competing concerns about equity and family disruption. Several members asked administrators to make a firm plan and clear communications so families can make enrollment decisions this spring. Board member Megan Miller asked for a formal ad‑hoc group to support community outreach and long‑term recruitment; the board agreed staff will continue outreach and consider outside recruitment options if feasible.

The motion approved language specifying DLI K–4 at Todd and Hackett “for the 2026–27 school year,” with a clear statement from administration that the board would revisit expansion if additional licensed bilingual staff become available. Board members emphasized the decision was intended as a staffing‑driven operational plan for the coming year rather than a permanent elimination of the program.

What happens next: Administration will finalize schedules and notify families of program assignments for fall 2026, open a recruitment effort for certificated bilingual staff, and return to the board if staffing or licensure changes make expansion feasible.