Evanston/Skokie School District 65’s new bilingual program may be an improvement on the existing program, but some at a district forum Thursday night wondered if it is the solution yet.

Earlier this month, board members officially adopted a two-way immersion program as the sole bilingual program in District 65 schools in future years.

But the adoption of this program comes at a time when bilingual education is a hot issue. Joe Antolin, moderator at a District 65 bilingual education information session held Thursday night, said a new federal law that requires states to separately track minority, low-income, limited-English and special education students could have implications in Evanston. The law was passed in 2001 and took effect this school year.

District 65 is required by federal mandate to provide a bilingual program for students. This year schools offered two bilingual programs.

Traditional bilingual education pulls Spanish-speaking students out of the class and teaches them English and the two-way immersion places 12 Spanish-speaking students and 12 volunteer English-speaking students in one classroom so both become bilingual.

The immersion program must raise scores among Spanish-speaking students over the next two years, or the district may lose federal funds and be required to bus its students to other schools, Antolin said.

Evanston resident Margarita Matlis said she thinks bilingual programs are ineffective and Spanish-speaking students should be taught only in English.

“Anybody knows the importance of mastering reading and writing during the first years of schooling,” Matlis wrote in an e-mail to The Daily. “To delay Hispanics from acquiring that skill, in the language they will need to succeed later in life, is criminal in my eyes.”

Griselda Pachec said she disagrees. Her oldest child will be beginning the immersion program in kindergarten at Washington Elementary School next fall. She emphasized that Spanish-speaking students are free to choose general education. She chose the immersion program because she doesn’t want her daughter to lose Spanish.

“It is important to me that my daughter be able to read and write both Spanish and English,” Pachec said. “In the future I believe it will award her better opportunities.”

Education Prof. Marjorie Faulstich Orellana worked with the district to develop the immersion program, said it would help both English- and Spanish-speaking students.

“It is a common perception that bilingual programs hold kids back,” she said. “But (the immersion program) elevates Spanish speaking kids status so their Spanish valued. This increase in self-esteem will lead to a bigger pay-off in academic development.”

The program currently is in effect in kindergarten through second grade at Washington and Orrington Elementary School. The issue at last night’s meeting was how to deal with increased interest in the program, which will next year outgrow Orrington and Washington.

Christina Honos, bilingual coordinator for the district, distributed packets to over 100 parents detailing possible scenarios for implementing the program in certain schools.

Issues of concern among parents included overcrowding, losing neighborhood schools and maintaining the natural diversity of schools.

Honos collected opinions from parents and said the bilingual committee would review them all. No date was given when the final decision will be made, but the program must be implemented by fall 2003.