Dual Language Enrollment Is Now Open
Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, Farmington Municipal Schools will expand Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in both English and Diné, and English and Español. In these programs, elementary students will learn in two languages every day.
Students and Schools | Next Steps |
We will offer DLI programs at:
| If your child is currently in a Bilingual Program, your family has priority enrollment and can sign a contract with our schools now to transition into one of our DLI programs. |
We welcome all learners: students who are growing into English, students who are fluent English speakers, and students who are bilingual or are on their way. | If you would like to enroll your elementary student in a DLI program next school year, please complete the Attendance Waiver Request form [here]. |
Spots will fill quickly. Please don’t wait. |
Students to More Than Double Language Learning Hours
Families, the transition to a full DLI model represents an extraordinary opportunity that will help open doors for our students for the rest of their lives.
Currently, a student in a bilingual class receives 45 minutes of language instruction per day, totaling a little more than 138 hours over the course of the 185-day academic year. Under the new model, our students will receive at least two hours of instruction in two languages daily, for a total of 370 hours per year. Going forward, this translates to a more than 2.6-fold increase in their yearly exposure to a second language.
The Story of Language Learning at FMS, Told by Those Living It
Check out the video above, where you will see and hear from students who have been in Dual Language Immersion programs since Kindergarten and 3rd grade. Their voices will tell you that language is more than communication. It is identity, connection, and belonging.
The video features two outstanding students, Alexa Palma from McCormick Elementary and Sariah Benally from Apache Elementary, alongside our excellent Dual Language teachers, Ms. Eldadiana Arzate and Ms. LaRosa Dawes from McCormick and Apache, respectively. We are deeply grateful for their participation and for bringing their unique voices to this message.
Farmington Municipal Schools
Ms. Arzate has been part of the FMS family since 2011, and Ms. Dawes since 2015.
We partnered with the talented 4C Studio, a Farmington media company, to bring you the beauty of language learning at FMS.
You can read our original announcement about this transition here.