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Parents urge district to preserve Abbott Spanish immersion pathway during Fiesta Gardens transition
Summary
Multiple parents told the board the planned transition of Fiesta Gardens to a TK–8 site risks removing advanced Spanish immersion and extracurricular opportunities for current fifth graders; they asked the board to keep Abbott’s immersion option open for this cohort until Fiesta’s middle-school program is fully formed.
Parents of Fiesta Gardens students made a coordinated appeal at the Jan. 23 meeting, saying the district’s campus realignment risks forcing current fifth graders to choose between continuing Spanish biliteracy and access to sports, electives and advanced math.
Natalia Guen, who identified herself as the mother of a Fiesta fifth grader, told trustees that families had expected a typical middle-school curriculum — “Sports and music and electives” — but learned that the Fiesta middle-school plan would initially lack those offerings and would discontinue Abbott’s immersion for some students. She asked the board to “keep the Abbot Spanish Immersion program until there is a solid Middle School offering for Fiesta students.”
Other parents echoed that request. A Christina B. said she was ‘‘disappointed to learn that there will not be a middle school building until the spring of 2026’’ and asked the district to offer alternatives such as an advanced Spanish class at Abbott if full immersion continuity was not feasible. Speakers cited the emotional and academic impact on students who have invested years in immersion instruction and sought transitional options for the 2025–26 school year.
Trustees acknowledged the complexity of campus realignment and said they heard the parents’ concerns. Superintendent Ooa and district staff noted that some options — including placing advanced Spanish coursework at Abbott or offering a modified pathway — had been discussed with principals and staff; trustees asked staff to continue pursuing feasible interim solutions and to improve communication with impacted families.
The board did not approve a specific program change at the meeting; rather, trustees and staff requested further follow-up and additional communications to families about available options for the affected cohort.
