Faribault board hears update on Roosevelt Spanish immersion; kindergarten capped at 24, lottery set

Roosevelt Principal Ashley Benhart told the Faribault Public Schools Board on April 22 that the district's new Spanish dual-language immersion program follows a 90/10 model in kindergarten that moves toward a 50/50 split by fourth grade.

Benhart said the model places the majority of early academic instruction in Spanish (90% in kindergarten, with English-focused time increasing each year) and keeps math, science and social studies taught in Spanish while language arts is delivered in both languages as students progress. "The model that Faribault went with is the 90/10 model," she said.

The principal reported this year's kindergarten section has 18 students: 12 with Spanish as their first language, three whose first language is English and three bilingual students. Benhart said the district will cap next year's kindergarten at 24 and run a lottery to balance home-language representation; families will be notified by May 1. "We are capping that at 24," she said, adding program staff aim for roughly half the seats to be students with Spanish as a home language to match research-based recommendations.

Board members asked about language-acquisition windows and program fidelity. Benhart said research supports early exposure but that motivation and instructional design matter across ages: "Research does show that between 0 and 3, it is easier to acquire a second language, but there really isn't a limit on the age to do so." Teachers on the panel described plans this summer to create a biliteracy framework and late-entry/early-exit criteria to ensure students who join or leave the program are assessed and supported.

Why it matters: the program expands district options for bilingualism and biliteracy and includes limits on class size and a lottery to regulate access. Next steps listed by administration include completing the biliteracy framework this summer, finalizing the lottery, and notifying families by May 1.

The board did not take a separate vote on program adoption at the meeting; the update was informational and followed by questions from several board members and staff.