TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Sometimes, it helps to say something twice. At one Tucson elementary school, that means once in English, once in Spanish.
The Tucson Unified School District marked the beginning of a new academic year at Davis Bilingual Magnet School Thursday, welcoming students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
Parents from across the Tucson area brought their children to the school, known for its bilingual immersion program.
Davis Bilingual Magnet School, a public institution with over 100 years of history, continues to attract families with its unique dual-language curriculum.
Suzette Peralta, a parent of a fourth grader at Davis, emphasized the importance of bilingual education.
"To me, there’s value in having that second language, whether it’s English, Spanish… whatever language it is," Peralta said. "My preference was just having them learn Spanish and English."
Despite being a public school, Davis is in high demand, maintaining a waiting list for most grades, according to the school’s principal.
The first day of school featured students singing in Julian Barcelo’s first-grade class, highlighting the immersive bilingual environment.
Barcelo, who has been teaching for 27 years, remarked on the benefits of bilingual education.
"I see just benefits," he said.
Davis Bilingual Magnet School’s program begins in kindergarten and includes extracurricular activities known as ‘specialistas,’ which feature classes in mariachi music, guitar, and folklorico dance.
These programs aim to instill cultural pride and celebrate multiple cultures, reinforcing the school’s mission beyond academic excellence.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
