Community members urge Taos Municipal Schools to keep Enos Garcia dual-language program

Community members urged the Taos Municipal Schools Board of Education on May 14 to retain the dual-language program at Enos Garcia Elementary, saying the program supports academic achievement, cultural identity and long-term student success.

"I'm Olivia Ortiz. I'm here to express my concerns as a community member and as a teacher," said Olivia Ortiz, a kindergarten teacher who said she has worked in the district's dual-language program for about 20 years and urged the board not to dissolve the program. Several other parents and educators told the board the decision to phase out the kindergarten dual-language classroom had not been widely publicized and that a district survey done last year had not had its results shared with families.

Retired bilingual educator Patricia Alaris told the board the district's reliance on exchange teachers from Spain risks displacing experienced local teachers and could conflict with New Mexico Public Education Department rules about reciprocal-exchange placements. "Exchange teachers are not supposed to ... replace experienced local educators, or serve as a workaround for program cuts," Alaris said, urging compliance and preservation of local bilingual staff.

Bethany Olonis, a preschool educator and parent, said discontinuing kindergarten-level dual-language instruction would harm English learners and could drive families to other schools that continue bilingual programming. Marco Hurtado, a parent and district speech pathologist, described how Enos Garcia's model shifted from a 90/10 Spanish/English split to a 50/50 model over time and warned that reductions have affected students' Spanish proficiency.

Speakers repeatedly tied bilingual education to both academic outcomes and cultural preservation. Commenters also asked for clearer data and transparency about the district's rationale; one attendee said a survey had been conducted but no results were shared publicly.

The board did not take a vote on the dual-language program at the meeting. Facilitator David Chavez said the input collected that night would feed a three-year strategic-plan refresh and that a compiled report would be posted on the district website for public review.

The board's next regularly scheduled meeting was announced for May 27 at 6 p.m.; no formal board action on program elimination was recorded at the May 14 session.