The Tucson Unified School District is expanding its Spanish-English dual-language immersion programs to five additional elementary schools this fall, responding to surging enrollment demand that has outpaced available seats for three consecutive years.
The expansion will bring the total number of TUSD schools offering dual-language programs to 14, serving approximately 3,200 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. In dual-language classrooms, instruction is divided between English and Spanish, with the goal of producing bilingual, biliterate students by middle school.
“The demand from families has been extraordinary,” said TUSD Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo. “Parents understand that bilingualism is a gift — it opens doors academically, professionally, and culturally. We want to make that opportunity available to as many students as possible.”
The program enrolls a balanced mix of native English speakers and native Spanish speakers, with each group benefiting from peer interaction in their developing language. Research consistently shows that dual-language students outperform their peers in monolingual programs on standardized tests by middle school.
The five new program sites were selected based on community demographics, facility capacity, and the availability of certified bilingual teachers. The district has been actively recruiting bilingual educators, offering hiring bonuses and partnering with the University of Arizona’s bilingual education program to develop a pipeline of qualified teachers.
“Finding enough bilingual teachers is our biggest challenge,” said TUSD’s director of language acquisition, Maria Elena Yepes. “We’re competing with districts across the state and the country for a limited pool of certified professionals.”
Parent Maria Castillo, whose daughter attends a dual-language program at Hollinger Elementary, said the program has been transformative. “My daughter speaks Spanish at home and English at school, and now both are strong. She reads chapter books in both languages. I never had that opportunity growing up.”
The district has also introduced a Mandarin Chinese dual-language pilot at one school, reflecting the growing diversity of language interests among Tucson families. If successful, additional language options may be explored in future years.
