Speaking out

Monday at the Newton Board of Education Kevin Neuenswander, principal of Slate Creek, will speak to the board about the possibility of a bilingual school in the Newton District — but there is a long way to go before a decision is made."We are just in the beginning of fact finding," Neuenswander said. "We are looking at if the community thinks there is a need."Neuenswander and educators from USD 373 visited Horace Mann, a bilingual school in Wichita, in January. He will talk about that experience at the 7 p.m. Monday board of education meeting."They are a 50 percent bilingual school," Neuenswander said. "Half of everything is taught in English and the other half in Spanish. ... English and Spanish speakers are together in the same class. It allows both groups to benefit from native speakers."Neuenswander said a charter school might be a possibility. Starting a Kindergarten class, and then expanding bilingual offerings as that class progresses through elementary school is also a possibility.But nothing has been decided."We need to a school that teaches using good strategies," Neuenswander said. "Would a foreign language magnet be something the community supports?"