Families urge board to keep Stevens Middle School dual immersion pathway, cite transportation and equity concerns

During a large public‑comment turnout, students and parents from West Long Beach and other neighborhoods urged the board to preserve the dual‑immersion (DI) continuation at Stevens Middle School. Speakers said the DI program is culturally important, that students have invested years in biliteracy, and that moving the middle‑school pathway to Hoover would impose long commutes (examples presented: Webster→Hoover 45–72 minutes; Webster→Stevens 10 minutes; Lafayette→Hoover 42–60 minutes) and create accessibility barriers for many families.

Multiple parents asked the board for the data and financial analysis underlying the proposed move, and several asked that the board “put this item back on the agenda” so families could see alternatives and transparent projections. Bilingual educators and a Long Beach Unified alumna urged the district to preserve neighborhood access to programs that produce biliterate, college‑ready students. Parents noted that when Keller Middle School opened as a DI pathway it prioritized East‑side students and left a Westside pathway gap, and speakers asked the board to consider adding Keller while retaining Stevens rather than relocating the pathway.

Board members acknowledged receiving the comments and one board member said she would bring the Stevens DI item to the agenda committee. Superintendent Zaid and staff agreed to follow up with community communications and additional information; community members requested that the board provide a clear explanation of projected savings, alternatives, and long‑term impact before finalizing any consolidation decision.