Dual Immersion enrollment reaches new record

Guy Lee Elementary is experiencing a surge in its Dual Immersion Program, enrollment for the 2025–26 school year has reached a total of 27 new students—with an 11-students waiting list, a new record. Based on 2018 data, the program has grown by 50%.

The SPS Dual Immersion Program is focused on bilingualism, biliteracy, and multiculturalism. It is designed with the goal of developing proficiency in both target languages, Spanish and English. Children learn core subjects in both languages. It also helps students better understand their native language and strengthens literacy, communication and critical thinking—key skills for academic success.

“This strong interest highlights our program’s reputation and success,” said Armando Garcia, assistant principal at Guy Lee and coordinator for the Dual Immersion Program. “These numbers indicate continued interest and successful recruitment, especially for the Spanish cohort. Enrollment remains well-balanced, ensuring the integrity of the dual language model and demonstrating consistent success in reaching both communities.”

In addition, next year Guy Lee will be adding a Spanish component of Magnetic Reading Foundations, called “Mosaico,” an authentic Spanish-Language Foundational Skills curriculum that supports bilingual learners with structured, research-based early literacy instruction. The bilingual curriculum supports district-wide efforts to improve literacy scores and performance in K-2 levels.

“With the pairing of Mosaico and Magnetic Reading Foundations, we are creating a cohesive, dual-language approach to foundational literacy that aligns instructional routines, scope and sequence, and skill development across both English and Spanish,” explained Garcia. “This integration ensures that students in the Dual Immersion Program receive consistent, high-quality instruction in both languages while honoring the unique linguistic features of each language.”

The enrollment increase has also raised challenges on how to best handle the new cohort of students and staffing needs in the years to come. Garcia is not sure yet about staffing needs, but he is hopeful the program will succeed in finding solutions despite current financial challenges for the 2025-26 budget.

Research shows that students in dual immersion programs often outperform their monolingual peers in reading and math by upper elementary grades. Beyond academics, students gain the ability to communicate with a broader range of people, build deep empathy and cultural understanding, and develop stronger cognitive flexibility, such as problem-solving and multitasking.

Visit the Springfield Public Schools website, to learn more about the district's Dual Immersion Program.