Board asks staff to deepen outreach, readiness work before expanding Dual Language Academy

The board weighed a staff subcommittee report on whether to expand the district’s Dual Language Academy (DLA) and unanimously asked staff to carry out additional outreach and readiness work before authorizing expansion. The DLA subcommittee presented evidence that English learners in existing DLA classrooms outperform peers in English language arts and that parent interest for Spanish DLA (58%) and Korean (29%) is strong in several neighborhoods.

Key recommendations and concerns: Staff identified Hermosa and Maple as the top candidates for a future strand because of high parent interest and facilities that could accommodate classrooms, while Richmond and Woodcrest were labeled "emerging readiness" sites that require further staffing and scheduling work. Start‑up cost estimates were presented: roughly $400,000 to open one TK classroom (one‑time start‑up) and higher figures if multiple grades or portable classrooms were needed; ongoing staffing costs would be supported from LCFF and general funds but require sustainable enrollment.

Trustee direction: Trustees asked staff to (1) broaden family outreach at candidate sites (including parent meetings, ELAC and PTA presentations, and targeted surveys), (2) create a staff‑readiness plan and bilingual staffing pipeline, (3) arrange opportunities for principals, teachers and community members to visit existing DLA classrooms, and (4) return with a timeline and a fiscal plan for phased expansion (recommended 2027 rather than immediate start next school year unless a site demonstrates readiness).

Why trustees paused: Board members and principals raised concerns about small survey sample sizes (77 responses in four focus schools), limited staff buy‑in at some sites and facility constraints (classroom availability, parking/drop‑off). Trustees underscored the program’s academic benefits for English learners but preferred a careful, staged approach and stronger community information campaigns before firm expansion decisions.

Provenance: Presentation begins at SEG 5970; staff discussion and trustee direction recorded between SEG 6225 and SEG 6680. Trustees asked for an outreach/timeline report and for the subcommittee to return with next steps prior to committing to full expansion.