Parents warn moving DLI from Wilson would disrupt emergent bilingual students' access

Scores of parents and program supporters urged the Coppell ISD board during public comment to reconsider or at least slow any move that would take the Dual Language Immersion program out of Wilson Elementary.

"Decisions should be data informed," said Vicky Wolf, who described Wilson as a community with strong DLI parent involvement and program supports. Multiple speakers cited a figure of 122 DLI walkers at Wilson, including about 75 emergent bilingual students who rely on walking rather than bus transport.

Parents said consolidating DLI to Denton Creek would force families to change daily routines, potentially shrink the program and interrupt services for vulnerable students. "Moving these vulnerable students from Wilson is not only disruptive, it's cruel," said Tracy Fisher, calling attention to the role of neighborhood trust and Spanish-speaking staff at Wilson.

Commenters also referenced a petition of more than 170 Wilson-zone families who said they would not transfer to a new site, and asked trustees to explain how IB capacity at Wilson would accommodate families who choose to remain. Christina Wiens told the board the plan would affect about 1,000 students'roughly 20 to 25 percent of elementary enrollment'and questioned how IB capacity and student selection would be handled if not all families transfer.

District staff and trustees acknowledged the concerns and said individualized outreach and a guaranteed-placement process would be deployed for affected families; they did not, however, reverse the consolidated recommendation.