Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-Salt Lake City, recently introduced SB102. School-based mental health support, accelerated learning opportunities, art-integrated instruction and dual language immersion are among the programs the proposal would end.
Under the bill, some programs would end as early as 2027; dual immersion courses would end in 2029.
In response to SB102, Parkite Charlie Maulding is launching a campaign to stop the bill’s passage. His focus is on the Dual Language Immersion program, which offers a bilingual experience for young learners when they are best able to acquire a second language.
Utah schools statewide offer immersion programs in Chinese, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Maulding participated in a Spanish immersion program while attending Park City schools.
“I didn't realize just how many things it would open up for me,” he said. “I've met so many cool people. I've learned a lot more about culture than I think I ever would have, you know, living in Utah.”
Maulding said the immersion program allowed him to learn Spanish more effectively, better communicate with Summit County community members and helped him land jobs.
Maulding has shared a sample letter that locals can use to ask their elected representatives not to support the bill. The letter details how the immersion program has supported him and other Utah students.
A University of Utah student, Maulding is passionate about the topic partly because his mom, Annie Wallace, is an educator and the dual language immersion specialist at Park City School District.
Wallace said she’s concerned if the immersion program is sunsetted, local kids whose first language isn’t English won’t get a learning boost.
“There is quite a bit of research out there that shows if you develop somebody's first language, then their second language is going to come along faster, and it's going to develop better,” she said. “This, to me, is a bit of a travesty because the goal of education is obviously to help students develop knowledge.”
Wallace said immersion programs support all students. Regardless of language, she said dual immersion students score better on state exams compared to students who aren’t in those programs.
Once repealed, funding for the programs would be distributed to Utah districts based on how many students they have.
The bill has not yet had a committee hearing and could be subject to changes.