The 2019-20 school year saw Delhi Unified School District's elementary DLA program expand from Harmony Elementary to El Capitan Elementary. With the community’s desire for access to English/Spanish bilingual programs, the district will offer DLA at Schendel Elementary in grades TK through 3rd grade in the 2020-21 school year--adding a grade level every year through 6th grade. This expansion makes DLA available at all Delhi schools.

The expansion of the DLA program beyond Harmony actually began in 2015-2016 when core classroom courses were offered in Spanish at the then newly established Delhi Middle School. During that first year Delhi offered Escritura en Español (Writing) and Ciencias Naturales (Natural Science). This year, Delhi Middle School is offering Español (Spanish), Matematicas (Math), and Historia (History)

As a district, Delhi is well poised to expand the DLA program. Since 1995, the district has pursued hiring teachers with a bilingual authorization (even prior to the establishment of the DLA program in 2004). To ensure Delhi could attract and retain teachers with bilingual authorization, our District has offered financial incentives since then.  The district has spent around $800,000 in bilingual financial incentives since 1995.

Delhi Unified is extremely excited to offer students, parents, and community more learning opportunities. The district believes that expanding these programs makes it much more competitive with neighboring schools which also offer, and/or are expanding their dual language programs. Delhi Unified also believes that biliteracy and bilingualism are among the greatest cognitive and academic gifts that we can pass on to our children. Close to 50 years of well established academic research supports this notion and supports the need to expand this program.