MOUNT VERNON, WA — Mount Vernon Elementary School models what Washington’s public education regulators want for their entire education system by 2040: bilingual education.

It’s a new school year and a new language for many of the kids at Madison Elementary School in Mount Vernon.

The school has been fully bilingual since 2019. Parents send their children here for exactly that reason. Everything is in both English and Spanish.

Fifth grader Olivia Ruiz says it helps bring kids together.

“Many of my friends speak Spanish more fluently than I do,” said the 11-year-old boy. “If I forget something or don’t know how to say something, they can help me.”

Proposed by State School Superintendent Chris Reykdal, parents will be able to choose dual language programs in some school districts in 2026.

The proposal is awaiting funding from the state legislature.

Approximately $19 million is required to get the program up and running for the first two years. Currently, his 35,000 students across his 42 school districts in Washington are studying in bilingual programs.

Reykdal hopes to offer the program in all districts by 2040.

“The evidence is clear,” says Raikdal. This is an important opportunity for our students. ”

There are also criticisms of some bilingual programs.

They are often inconsistent.

Washington’s programs finish before high school, and some students may lose much of what they learned in previous grades.

A foreign language can be another obstacle for students struggling with a subject.

Also, studies show that it takes seven years for a second language to fully “click” with children, so early academics can struggle.

However, teacher Cecilia Guzman Maron says further research has shown that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

“As soon as seven years start ticking, they start outperforming their peers in monolingual programs,” Guzman-Marron said.

Guzman-Marron is the daughter of immigrants and did not learn English until kindergarten.

Not understanding what was going on, she began to despise school.

She believes that bilingual classrooms are about more than just learning languages.

They also talk about teaching compassion.

“Knowing that it was me in my school days, seeing those kids and families come to my classroom, someone in this building can communicate with them in their language, so they Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, “This is a gift. Would you like to receive it?”

Spanish is not the only alternative to English.

Several other languages ​​may also be offered, such as Vietnamese and Native American dialects.