WARSAW — The Indiana Department of Education has announced this week the grant recipients of the Indiana Dual Language Immersion Pilot Program. Leesburg Elementary has been selected to receive $50,000 in support of creation of a dual language program, which will be implemented in the 2018-2019 school year.

In its third year, the purpose of the IDOE DLI course offering is to distribute financial assistance to school corporations or charter schools for either the establishment of new DLI programs or introduction of new languages in existing DLI programs. Those programs must begin in either kindergarten or first grade and use an instructional model that provides at least 50 percent of its instruction in a second language and the remaining percentage of instructional time in English.

Warsaw Community Schools piloted its first dual language immersion program in the fall of 2016. The program, beginning in the kindergarten grade level, is currently hosted at Eisenhower Elementary. Due to parent desire for dual language immersion, over 30 applicants had to be declined in its first year. Now, with the addition of Leesburg Elementary, WCS will offer a northern and southern location for dual language immersion, expanding its reach and scope within the district.

Preparation for DLI at Leesburg Elementary will begin in 2017. Upon implementation, parents at the elementary will have the choice to either apply for DLI or attend a traditional kindergarten option as well.

“We are extremely excited to move forward through this grant with a second school offering dual language immersion as an option,” stated Dr. David Hoffert, superintendent of Warsaw Community Schools. “This past year we saw the great success of the program at Eisenhower Elementary and the community desire for additional programming. Because of this success, the Indiana Department of Education and WCS are proud to offer additional opportunities in learning world languages to students.”