By Vincent BradshawThe Daily Northwestern

The Evanston/Skokie District 65 School Board discussed possible changes to the system’s Two-Way Immersion program and heard from parents who said the program should be cut from at least one school during Monday night’s meeting.

Many of the 11 parents and residents who spoke opposed any plan to bring the program back to Willard School, 2700 Hurd Ave. Several said the school lacked enough classrooms to house the program for another year.

“There is simply not enough room at Willard,” said Marla Felvey, a mother of three children at the school.

“How could the district make this decision? At Willard there are five Spanish-speaking students. But there are 300 other students and faculty that would be affected.”

The program, created in 2000, was implemented to increase classroom diversity. English- and Spanish-speaking students learn together through bilingual instruction.

The classes have been criticized by residents and board members. Superintendent Hardy Murphy has charged the program has a low number of black native English speakers.

Parents of Willard students told the board that the program only helps a small number of Spanish-speaking students, leaving out the majority of the school’s population.

“What we have is a de facto program serving only a few students but paid for by everyone,” said parent Elizabeth Smiley.

The board was given several options on how to proceed, but it focused on a plan to cut TWI programs at Willard School and implement two strands at Washington Elementary School, 914 Ashland Ave.

Board member Jonathan Baum said he supported the idea of removing the Willard program because the number of Spanish-speaking students who need to enroll in the program do not live within the district.

The board rejected a proposal to reconsider a plan to create a separate language facility and consolidate already existing TWI programs. Baum said plans to consider this option had long passed.

“The only way to consider a language academy is to look at the big-picture question,” Baum said. “What do we want our K-8 education to look like?”

The board must still solidify program details before a final decision will be made on Dec. 18. Board members will set a date for a public hearing to be held before that meeting.

Reach Vincent Bradshaw at v-bradshaw @northwestern.edu.