Wake wins $14 million grant to expand Spanish, Chinese classes in magnet schools
The Wake County school system has won a $14.1 million federal grant to expand programs at four magnet schools that will teach such languages as Spanish and Chinese to students.
Wake announced Wednesday it was among nine school districts in the nation to win a Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant will allow Wake to support the addition of language immersion, language enhancement and global studies programs at Dillard Drive Elementary and Dillard Drive Middle in Raleigh, East Cary Middle and Smith Elementary in Garner.
“These new themes were chosen in response to a survey of Wake County parents, which indicated that many parents want more world language learning options for their children,” Superintendent Cathy Moore said in a news release.
“This federal funding, the result of months of hard work by our Office of Magnet and Curriculum Enhancement Programs, will help thousands of students improve their world language proficiency and cultural understanding — essential skills for success in a global economy.”
Wake will receive the money over four years, with $3.5 million coming this year. This will help with the new magnet programs starting at Dillard and East Cary and to revise the existing magnet program at Smith.
Wake included those schools in the grant because they’re dealing with issues such as having a higher-than-average number of low-income students. Those schools are also competing with charter schools and private schools for students.
Wake operates the magnet-school program as a way to fill under-enrolled schools, diversify school populations and provide school choice. Wake often wins national awards for its magnet program.
Students will learn world languages
Dillard Elementary and Dillard Middle will offer a Spanish-language immersion program. It will start with two kindergarten classes taking their math, language arts, social studies and science classes in Spanish. Eventually, it will become a K-8 program.
Dillard students who aren’t in the immersion program can take a daily language class in either Spanish or French. Wake says global learning will be integrated into the classes.
“Our new magnet theme will nurture global citizens, foster diverse relationships, build community, and inspire learners to discover how their strengths can positively impact the world,” Roxann Sykes, principal of Dillard Elementary, said in the news release. “This funding will ensure we have the necessary resources and support to implement our new theme with intentionality.”
East Cary will offer daily instruction in Spanish or Chinese to help students become proficient in a second language. Global learning will be integrated into the classes.
Smith will add a dual language Spanish immersion and world languages theme to its International Baccalaureate Primary Years theme. Immersion students will take math, language arts, social studies and science classes in both Spanish and English.
Smith students who aren’t in the dual immersion program will have daily language class in Spanish or Mandarin Chinese.
