Tigard-Tualatin School District proposes expanding immersion dual-language program
Reported byValley Times
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The Tigard-Tualatin School District is considering an expansion of its Spanish-English two-way immersion program. At a school board meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, district officials presented a plan to convert Bridgeport and Metzger elementary schools into dedicated two-way immersion schools starting in the 2027-28 school year. Today, both schools run the program as a "school-within-a-school," which means only a limited number of students across the district can take part.
According to district officials, each school would add schoolwide immersion gradually over six years, adding kindergarten classes annually. As part of the change, traditional neighborhood attendance boundaries at the two schools would shift so that students are assigned to designated nearby elementary schools. The superintendent said in a statement that the change would open bilingual education to more families and let each school focus on one teaching approach instead of running two programs in the same building.
The article notes that kindergarteners in the program now spend 90% of the day in Spanish and 10% in English, moving to an even split by fourth grade. The program began in fall 2012 at Metzger Elementary. In May 2025, the district honored 40 graduates at Tigard High School, and most students who stay in the program through high school earn an Oregon State Seal of Biliteracy. No dates are set yet, but listening sessions to gather public feedback are planned for later this month and in November.
Why it matters
The proposal would change which school some children attend and how two elementary schools are organized. Families in affected neighborhoods and those seeking bilingual education may want to take part in the planned listening sessions before any decision is made.
- Attendance boundaries
- English learners
- School consolidation
- Public comment
- Grade reconfiguration
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should the district weigh wider access to dual-language learning against changes to neighborhood attendance boundaries at Bridgeport and Metzger?
- What information would help families give useful feedback during the planned listening sessions?
- What supports might students and staff need during a six-year phase-in of schoolwide immersion?
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