School board discusses immersion program

The Cabarrus County Board of Education discussed a potential Spanish language immersion program this week that the school system could implement in two kindergarten classes in August.

The program is called Splash, and it is facilitated by Visiting International Faculty (VIF), which has sponsored international educators to teach language classes in the state and has expanded to include other international education programs.

The immersion program would involve students receiving instruction in English half of the time, and instruction in Spanish the other half.

The students who are native Spanish speakers and the ones who are native English speakers would become bilingual, biliterate and culturally aware, said Jason Van Heukelum, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Cabarrus County Schools.

Van Heukelum presented the proposal to the school board at its work session Monday, saying that it is not a magnet program, and it would not require transportation. He added that, if approved, it could start with one or two kindergarten classes in August and add a grade level each year throughout the elementary years.

The first year would potentially have two classes in kindergarten at a cost of $55,000, which includes licensing and support from VIF and supplies, Van Heukelum said. The second year would possibly include two classes each in grades kindergarten and first at a cost of $42,000.

The immersion program requires an initial investment but not a long-term investment, Van Heukelum said, and the cost for it decreases over time.

The VIF teachers would be retained and paid with the system’s allotment for regular teachers, and VIF pays for items such as the recruitment, orientation and professional development, according to the proposal. The system would also use money from the system’s disadvantaged student supplemental funding (DSSF) and textbook funds for the program.

The system is currently looking at Carl A. Furr Elementary School for implementing the program because it has a high native Spanish-speaking population and is not a Title-I school. Van Heukelum said that Furr Elementary has also investigated this program in the past, and in a survey, it found that there was enough interest from families who are not native Spanish speakers.

He also told board members that parents would choose whether they want their students enrolled in this program.

As the board discussed the proposal, several members asked if the English-speaking students would lose time in their academic schedule because they are taught in Spanish every other day. Van Heukelum said the students still move completely through the curriculum and perform better than their peers who receive instruction in English every day.

“I work off of logic, and that’s not logical to me,” said board member Tim Furr.

Van Heukelum also said that the Spanish-speaking students currently learn to speak English while they are learning the curriculum in their core subjects, and this would help them, too.

“It takes four to six years to learn English, and (they are) missing key components of math and science because (they are not) ready to learn,” Van Heukelum said.

Board member Carolyn Carpenter also asked how long the program has been around, and Van Heukelum said the longest has been five years.

The Splash program is in seven school districts in the state, which include Cumberland County, Johnston County and Iredell-Statesville.

Cabarrus County Schools Superintendent Barry Shepherd told the board that there are more programs implemented in other districts around the state, though, and the system staff will provide board members with that information.

Shepherd also told board members that, three years ago, he visited a classroom that had implemented the immersion program. He said that he had been a skeptic before he arrived at the classroom.

“I was so impressed,” Shepherd said. “If there are skeptics like me, then maybe we need to set up a field trip. … I think we’ll all be believers if we jump on board.”

Board Chair Lynn Shue said he thought it was a great program and could be a great addition to the system.

“There might come a time … that Spanish will be the primary language in this county,” Shue said. “You don’t know.”

The board is scheduled to vote on this item at its meeting Monday.

Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152