The Provo City School District DLI & Boundary Study Parent Committee held its second meeting on September 17, 2026. The meeting focused on answering questions raised during the committee’s first meeting, reviewing additional data, identifying the primary issues the committee is working to address, and beginning discussion of potential DLI models for the future.
Following Up on Questions from the First Meeting
Committee members began by sharing takeaways from recent Board of Education discussions and information they had reviewed since the August meeting. A common theme was that the issues surrounding DLI are more complex than the programs themselves. Committee members discussed the connections among DLI, class size, student needs, school culture, friendships and peer groups, enrollment patterns, access to programs and opportunities available to students throughout the district.
District staff then provided additional information requested by committee members at the August meeting. These requests included academic outcomes for DLI and non-DLI students, data related to IEPs and other student needs in DLI and non-DLI classrooms, and information about students who participate in DLI from outside Provo City School District.
Superintendent Wendy Dau reviewed student achievement data and discussed how to interpret measures such as RISE and Acadience. The committee discussed differences visible within the data while also considering the limitations of using those comparisons to determine whether participation in DLI itself caused a particular academic outcome.
The committee also reviewed information related to students with IEPs, 504 plans and multilingual learner designations and discussed how the composition of DLI and non-DLI classes can change as students progress through elementary school.
Enrollment data presented to the committee showed the number of DLI students at each of the district’s five current DLI schools as well as the number coming from outside Provo. The committee discussed the financial impact of out-of-district enrollment, school choice requirements and how students choosing into a school can affect enrollment and class configurations.
Defining the Problem
The committee then focused on the central question guiding its work:
What is the most equitable way for the District to serve both DLI and non-DLI students and schools?
As part of that discussion, four issues were identified for particular consideration:
Class sizes and the number of classes
Supporting multiple languages at the secondary level
School culture
Financial inequities
Committee members discussed the importance of considering opportunities for all students, including students who do not participate in DLI, as the district evaluates the future of the program.
Exploring Potential DLI Models
The committee then began exploring possible approaches rather than attempting to select a preferred model. The goal at this stage is to identify potential solutions and examine the advantages, disadvantages and implications of each before recommendations are developed.
One of the first questions was:
Does it matter to families which language is offered, or is having a DLI opportunity more important?
Committee members discussed strong interest in Spanish, including its connection to Provo’s community and opportunities for two-way immersion programs involving native Spanish speakers. Members also noted the strong communities that have developed around the district’s existing languages and the value families place on those programs.
The discussion also raised the question of whether some families are attracted to DLI specifically because of the language or because they see the program as providing additional academic challenge and rigor.
A related discussion considered how many languages the district should offer. Committee members discussed the benefits of offering multiple languages as well as the staffing, enrollment and scheduling challenges that can occur, particularly as students move into middle and high school.
Neighborhood Schools, Magnet Programs and Access
The committee also began comparing different ways DLI programs could be structured.
One possibility discussed was establishing one or more DLI magnet schools. Committee members considered potential advantages and challenges, including transportation and the possibility that students who are not participating in DLI could have to travel farther to attend their neighborhood school.
The committee also considered continuing DLI within neighborhood schools, including what enrollment would be necessary to sustain multiple DLI and non-DLI classes at each grade level. The presentation specifically asked the committee to consider a model with four classes per grade level and the possible implications that model could have for the district’s overall number of elementary schools.
Another option discussed was expanding Spanish DLI in schools with larger populations of native Spanish speakers. Committee members considered the potential advantages and challenges of creating additional opportunities for two-way language learning.
No decisions were made at the meeting. These discussions were intended to identify questions, potential models and tradeoffs that need additional study before the committee develops recommendations.
Next Steps
Additional community research is also underway. Focus groups and interviews are being conducted by Peregrine Research, with a report scheduled to be presented to the Board of Education in November. A districtwide family survey is planned for October and November. The current timeline anticipates a possible Board decision regarding DLI in December or January. After the DLI portion of the work is completed, the committee is scheduled to turn its attention to boundary and school closure policy issues.
The next DLI & Boundary Committee meeting is scheduled for October 8 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Committee members were also encouraged to continue listening to their school communities and sharing questions and concerns that should be considered in future discussions.
