Blake DeVine / NC3
English and Spanish will be taught to kindergartners at McKinley Elementary School next fall.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Students who attend McKinley Elementary School will soon learn in two languages, as the Santa Barbara Unified School District is set to start a dual-language immersion program.
Next fall, English and Spanish will be taught to all kindergartners on campus.
According to McKinley principal Elena Garcia-Yoshitomi, it aims to teach children a second language while maintaining their native tongue.
“We have so much enthusiasm for dual language immersion,” she said. “This has been a long road coming."
“Imagine students speaking in two languages,” Santa Barbara Unified executive director of diversity, equity, and family engagement programs Maria Larios-Horton said. “Being able to learn and collaborate no matter what their background."