Canyons School District has some of the most extensive language immersion offerings in Utah. Ten elementary schools offer dual immersion programs in Spanish, French, or Chinese — and the time to consider applying is now.

Applications for the 2027-2028 school year open Wednesday, Sept. 30 and close Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2026. Any kindergarten-aged student who will be starting the first grade in fall 2027 may apply. A lottery will be held to determine entrance into the programs if the number of applicants exceeds the seats available.

Students in DLI spend half their day learning in English and half in Spanish, French, or Mandarin Chinese. The programs continue through high school where students can work to pass the Advanced Placement exam in the 9th or 10th grades and take college-level courses for early college credit.

The result? Higher academic achievement on end-of-year tests and bilingual skills that open up job opportunities for students and give them a competitive advantage when applying for college.

Families of multilingual learners are especially encouraged to apply as these programs can accelerate English proficiency.

This year, families will have more information earlier in the application process about enrollment at their chosen DLI school. 

As Canyons works to preserve strong language immersion opportunities amid declining enrollment, the District is establishing enrollment targets and timelines for determining whether schools have enough students to support two first-grade DLI classes or whether a one-class cohort may be necessary.

“The goal is to give families both opportunity and predictability,” said Canyons Superintendent Dr. McKay Robinson. “We remain absolutely committed to Dual-Language Immersion and want families to continue applying. At the same time, demographic changes require us to be thoughtful about how we structure these programs so they remain strong and sustainable for years to come.”

Enrollment Targets

• For a two-class DLI cohort: At least 50 students would need to commit by Jan. 15 to enrolling in DLI, with sufficient enrollment to support a neighborhood classroom of at least 19 students.
• For a one-class DLI cohort: If DLI enrollment falls short of 50, a school may move to a single DLI class of up to 30 students. The larger starting class is intended to account for normal attrition and help ensure there are enough students to sustain the program as the cohort advances through the grades.
• Immersion classes in grades 2-5 with an enrollment of 30 students or below will move to a one-class cohort. The deadline for making those determinations will be March 15.  

Canyons School District is hosting a series of information nights designed to help families learn more, ask questions, and plan for the future.

Families who are new to Dual Language Immersion are invited to an information night to learn how DLI works, explore the benefits of bilingual learning, understand the application process.

• Parent Information Night: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6:30-8 p.m. in the PEAKS room at the Canyons District Offices, 9361 S. 300 East, Sandy.

Families currently enrolled in DLI are invited to information nights held at their schools, which are focused on enrollment and cohort planning. A schedule of these events can be found at canyonsdistrict.org.

For families interested in knowing how enrollment is shaping up for next year’s incoming DLI cohorts, the District has also created a dashboard showing enrollment progress at each school..

Even if a student has a sibling in DLI, families must still submit an application by the Dec. 15 deadline. Parents may list their top three program choices on the application.

Elementary Schools With Dual-Language Immersion Programs

Spanish: Alta View, Altara, Midvalley, Silver Mesa, Midvale

French: Butler, Oak Hollow

Mandarin Chinese: Draper, Lone Peak, Ridgecrest

A Proven Record of Success

Since 2009, when the District was founded, Canyons has grown its immersion programs to serve more than 10 percent of its 31,000 students.

Click here to apply.

Questions? Call Canyons District’s Instructional Supports Department at 801-826-5026.