Bilingual students moved

LBJ Elementary bilingual fifth-grader Maggie Alvico said it's important to know Spanish and English, because it'll help her in a future career.

"In many jobs, you'll get paid more," she said.

The 12-year-old said she enjoys her bilingual classes, and she's been moved from different schools in the Ector County Independent School District in recent years to continue with the curriculum.

Most recently, Maggie's gone from Travis Magnet Elementary to LBJ last year, and soon she'll add an additional move to the list in August.

Maggie, one of 104 bilingual students at LBJ, is being moved to Blackshear Magnet in the 2008-'09 school year as part of an effort by the school district to "better serve students who are overcrowded" and to meet outlined desegregation court-order requirements and Texas Education Agency guidelines.

Irene Granado, ECISD assistant superintendent for instructional support, said 104 bilingual program students from LBJ and 58 students from Gonzales are moving to campuses across town to reduce crowding at LBJ and to increase bilingual numbers at Milam Magnet Elementary.

"We're trying to see how we can better meet the needs of all the bilingual students in the district," Granado said.

LBJ bilingual students will be moved to Blackshear Magnet while Gonzales students will go to Milam, she said.

"We think it's just going to make the bilingual program stronger, and then we're going to provide the services our students so desperately need," Granado said.

Two years ago, students from Burnet, Blanton, Sam Houston and Ireland elementaries were moved to the LBJ, Gonzales, Ross or Barbara Jordan campuses.

Those students were moved to the "host schools" in an effort to meet TEA requirements calling for the district to stop using the least ineffective bilingual method of resource pull-out programs, Granado said.

Now, the 104 LBJ students, if all choose to stay in bilingual education, will join 70 students in the Blackshear program. The 58 Gonzales students will be combined with 75 at Milam.

WANT TO GO?

>> What: Parent meeting regarding the reconfiguration of ECISD bilingual programs.

>> When: 6 p.m. Thursday

>> Where: Joint cafeteria at Milam and Blackshear elementaries.

>> Call: Irene Granado, ECISD assistant superintendent for instructional support, at 334-7197 or the ECISD bilingual office at 334-7142.