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Parents, students urge Long Beach Unified to keep Stevenson dual-immersion pathway
Summary
Dozens of parents, students and bilingual educators told the Long Beach Unified School Board they oppose moving the Stevenson dual-immersion program, citing long bus rides, lost continuity and lack of transparency; the board heard requests to return the issue to a future agenda for further study.
Dozens of speakers at the Long Beach Unified School District board meeting urged trustees to retain the dual-immersion pathway at Stevenson, saying a planned relocation would impose transportation burdens and break long-standing student pathways.
"Si esta es la mejor decisión de la escuela, ¿dónde están los datos que muestra que este movimiento beneficia a los estudiantes?" asked Vanesa Loza, a parent, describing multi-child households and the infeasibility of long bus commutes. Maribel Castañeda, representing Webster families, told the board that Webster has operated a dual-immersion program for 30 years and that changes threaten students who have worked for years to complete an immersion trajectory.
Parents and students gave concrete examples of travel times they said would increase under the proposal: staff and commenters cited bus rides of 45 minutes to more than an hour from some elementary schools to Hoover or Keller. "Primaria Webster a Hoover, 45 minutos a una hora y 12 minutos," one speaker said, describing how transportation becomes a barrier to continuing immersion.
Advocates pressed for transparency and data. Rosa Díaz, a bilingual educator and Long Beach graduate, asked for a "explicación clara sobre el análisis financiero detrás de esta recomendación" and suggested the district identify transportation and funding sources before final decisions. Multiple speakers said they felt community input came after plans were already underway.
Board responses focused on next steps rather than a final decision. Trustee Miller thanked speakers and said staff would try to respond to the concerns in the coming weeks; the board indicated the item could be added back to a future agenda for more study and public engagement.
The board did not take a final vote on program relocation at this meeting; trustees said they would return with more information and opportunities for community input.
