PUSD to Offer Spanish Language Program, STEM Academy

The Pasadena Unified School District announced Wednesday they will offer a Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program for the kindergaten level at Jackson Elementary in the upcoming school year.

The program will expand each year after that as the kindergarten class moves through Jackson and will eventually serve each class level at the school, according to a PUSD press release.

The design of the program is to make the kindergarten class taught about 90 percent in Spanish, 10 percent in English, and to increase the amount of English instruction each year until each student is billingual, according to the release.

PUSD also plans to convert to aWashington Middle School to include a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) magnet.

Admission to the STEM academy will be by application, and any student entering grades 6-8 can apply, according to the release.

The district describes the program as "designed to prepare middle school students with 21st century skills and build their capacity for advanced STEM studies in high school, college, and beyond."

That program will start in the 2013-14 school year.