South Bay preschool launches dual language program

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A first of it's kind dual immersion preschool will soon be coming to the Alum Rock Unified School District.

Adelante Dual Language Academy in San Jose is a dual language school where students from kindergarten to eighth grade learn Spanish and English. But in the Fall of 2020, students will start their dual language program from preschool.

Hilaria Bauer, Superintendent of Alum Rock Unified School District, says this is a dream come true for her.

"There are a lot of families that are not able to afford preschool education in our area, and having not only more seats available to families and now offering them one of our signature programs is extremely exciting for Alum Rock," Bauer said.

Next year, the preschool program will be Santa Clara County's first of its kind, combining English and Spanish.

Teachers and parents, including County Supervisor Dave Cortese, gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony -- a moment they hope to see more of.

"You know this is very normal across the globe, there are so many countries where this is not big news it's just part of life. So I think in the Bay Area, we're just catching up" Bauer said.

For teacher Laura Eck, learning another language not only empowers the students, but their families.

"I have a little girl, full English speaker and now her mom is coming in and saying 'buenos dias maestro-good morning teacher.' So they become very proud of their families," Eck said.

The superintendent says also coming next Fall, Painter Elementary School will launch their English-Vietnamese dual program. She's encouraging students who already are fluent in English and Spanish to go there so they'll have three languages under their belt.