Families at Bridgeport and Metzger elementary schools could see their children reassigned to other campuses under a Tigard-Tualatin School District proposal to convert both buildings into dedicated Spanish-English immersion schools.

Superintendent Iton Udosenata presented the plan at an Oct. 12 school board work session, Tigard Life reported.

The conversion would begin in the 2027-28 school year and phase in over six years.

The district's Two-Way Immersion program, known as TWI, currently operates as a "school-within-a-school" at both campuses.

That model runs English-language and immersion programs under the same roof, which Udosenata told board members creates challenges.

What changes for families

Under the proposal, both schools would add kindergarten TWI classes in 2027-28. Kindergarteners and first-graders in English-language programs would move to other schools that year.

In 2028-29, English-only classes in grades 2 through 4 would follow. By 2029-30, English-language classes would be fully phased out, with TWI expanding one grade at a time over the following three years.

The schools' attendance boundaries would effectively "dissolve," according to Tigard Life.

Metzger students not enrolled in TWI would transfer to Charles F. Tigard Elementary. Bridgeport students would go to Tualatin or Byrom elementary, depending on their address. The district provides transportation for students living more than one mile from their assigned school, Udosenata said.

"Expanding two-way immersion opens the door for more families across our community to benefit from high-quality bilingual education," Udosenata said in a press release.

Costs and rationale

The change would affect staffing and busing. TWI consolidation should generate overall savings, according to the district, though transportation costs would increase. At the Oct. 12 meeting, staff noted potential annual staffing savings from redeploying duplicate positions but gave no dollar amounts, according to a meeting summary on Govly.

Keeping TWI at Metzger and Bridgeport places the program amid the highest concentration of Spanish-speaking English learners in the district, according to Tigard Life.

The TWI program starts kindergarteners at 90% Spanish instruction and shifts to a 50-50 Spanish-English balance by fourth grade. Bilingual learning continues through middle school, and high school students can take Spanish-language courses across subjects and earn biliteracy honors.

Separate from school closures

The district says TWI expansion would not increase the likelihood of school closures being considered separately to address declining enrollment. The district believes the immersion program could help boost enrollment over time, according to Tigard Life.

TTSD is also planning to close one unnamed elementary school beginning in 2028-29, the Valley Times reported Oct. 28. Udosenata told the board Oct. 26 that a school had been identified and that he would share a detailed report at the Nov. 9 meeting.

What happens next

District officials say the expansion remains under consideration and that community input will shape implementation. As of mid-October, listening sessions were planned but no dates had been set, according to Your Oregon News. The school board does not vote directly on program changes but would consider related attendance-boundary adjustments, likely in early 2027, according to Tigard Life.

The TWI program launched in fall 2012 at Metzger Elementary. In May 2025, the district celebrated the graduation of 40 students, many from its first cohort, at Tigard High School, according to Your Oregon News.