It was a full house at the Albany County School District No. 1 Board of Education meeting March 21. Many of those in attendance were waiting for the board to expand the Dual-Language Immersion Program to the second grade at Indian Paintbrush and Spring Creek elementary schools.

In the Dual-Language Immersion Program, randomly selected students learn Spanish through immersion by spending half their day learning in a Spanish-speaking class and the rest of their day in an English-speaking class.

ACSD No. 1 Board of Education Chair Janice Marshall told the crowd the board’s decision on whether they would expand the program couldn’t be made just because they want to keep the program.

“I hope the parents will see there are so many aspects to consider with this — budget, hirings, staffing and space,” Marshall said. “It is not just a simple, ‘Yes we believe in the program.’ There is so much to consider.”

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