A school that teaches students in multiple languages is staying open for another five years – after being at risk of shuttering just a few months ago.
The Dual Language Academy, a program within the Merced Scholars Charter School, was created in 2022, offering a 50-50 model learning in Spanish or Hmong. For the 2025-26 school year, it enrolled 96 students from transitional kindergarten through fourth grade.
In January, MCOE announced the language academy was going to close its doors due to low enrollment and a $1 million budget deficit.
After an outcry from parents, administrators decided the school would stay open another school year, although its status would be contingent on garnering higher enrollment and securing funding grants.
At its June board meeting, MCOE approved a five year budget renewal of Merced Scholars Charter School – which includes funding for the Dual Language Academy. The funding comes from MCOE’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).
Still, administrators are emphasizing the importance of maintaining community interest and continuing enrollment gains to keep the school open.
“Like most public charter schools in California, [Merced Scholars Charter] and [Dual Language Academy] rely on strong enrollment and attendance to remain financially sustainable,” MCOE spokesperson Nathan Quevedo said in a statement.
“Enrollment for the upcoming school year is significantly higher than in recent years, reflecting continued family interest in the program and supporting the long-term stability of the school.”
According to the charter petition, the school was able to pre-enroll 169 students, including 78 new students for the upcoming school year – nearly double the enrollment from last year.
Even with the renewal of funding, the charter program remains in a critical financial position. In a June financial analysis, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services Martin Fregoso estimated the program’s deficit would increase to $1.7 million next year, with projected deficits of more than $1.2 million each year after.
The projections include the new enrollment numbers.
“This creates a substantial doubt that the DLA can continue as a viable program,” Fregoso wrote in the analysis.
‘A lot of things are going to change in a positive way’
The renewed funding of the school came as a surprise, according to parent MJ Griswold.
After the closure announcement earlier this year, Griswold and numerous other parents created a parents advocacy group to organize around issues related to their school and raise interest for the program in their communities.
Additionally, parents helped in spreading informational resources about the DLA program and helped families across Merced County enroll their children in classes.
“It feels like all of our hard work paid off,” Griswold said.
After the school closure announcement in January, parents were concerned over how their students were going to receive bilingual education in other Merced County schools. While some campuses have immersion learning available, most programs are still young and have limited grade offerings with limited enrollment space.
“We’re not just fighting for our kids. We’re fighting for anyone who wants a dual language education in Merced,” Griswold said. “We want to see this be a sustainable school that will carry on for generations, because it’s needed.”
The school will welcome a new principal, Ravi Prabhala, for the 2026-27 school year. Parents said they are excited to collaborate with the new leadership and are eager to create a difference for all students.
“We know how to make our voices heard,” Griswold said. “A lot of things for our school are going to change in a positive way.”