How we got here
For 15 years, Massachusetts effectively banned teaching in languages other than English. A 2002 ballot question made English-only instruction the law, and it stayed that way until the 2017 Language Opportunities for Our Kids (LOOK) Act gave districts explicit permission to run bilingual programs again.
The first wave came fast. According to the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast, 16 dual language programs opened between 2018 and 2020. COVID-19 then slowed new launches to just six over the next two years (Boston Globe).
Today, a district that wants a new program applies to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) a year ahead: a first proposal is due November 15 and a final one January 1, with the program opening the following fall (DESE).
By the numbers
The rebound began in 2023, when five new programs opened statewide, and more were in the state pipeline by spring 2025 (Boston Globe). By January 2026, roughly 25 districts offered dual language bilingual education (Salem Public Schools). By September 2026, DESE counted about 30 communities with programs, in partner languages ranging from Spanish and Portuguese to Mandarin and Vietnamese (Boston 25 News).
| Period | New programs or reach | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–2020 | 16 new programs | MABE Northeast, via Boston Globe |
| 2021–2022 | 6 new programs | MABE Northeast, via Boston Globe |
| 2023 | 5 new programs | Boston Globe |
| Jan 2026 | ~25 districts with programs | Salem Public Schools |
| Sep 2026 | ~30 communities with programs | DESE, via Boston 25 Ne |
Why districts are saying yes
The research case is strong. English learners in dual language programs outperform peers in English-centric programs in reading and math by adolescence, according to Stanford research cited by the Boston Globe. Boston University’s Yasko Kanno told Boston 25 that students can learn two languages without any cost to their academic learning.
Results on the ground back it up. DESE named Waltham’s K–5 Dual Language School a 2024 School of Recognition for progress in math and English, and it now enrolls just over 8% of the district’s elementary students (MA Latino News). Brockton calls its George School its highest-performing elementary school.
Families on both sides of the language line want in. English-speaking parents see a career advantage, while immigrant families get schooling that keeps their home language alive instead of replacing it.
How the MEL Community Foundation is backing dual language
The Massachusetts English Learner (MEL) Community Foundation is putting seed money exactly where the LOOK Act left a gap: the planning and early years of new dual language programs. The Cambridge-based nonprofit, a 501(c)(3) , exists to raise English learners’ academic achievement and college attainment in Massachusetts public schools. Its stated goal is for rigorous coursework and college and career opportunities to be the norm for English learners, not the exception (Charity Navigator).
Dual language is a natural fit for that mission, since it is the English learner model most closely tied to long-term academic gains. Two districts show how the foundation is putting that into practice:
- Everett. The foundation awarded grants to Everett’s dual language programs in both 2025 and 2026, giving the district two consecutive years of support as its programs grow.
- Fitchburg. In 2026 the foundation awarded Fitchburg Public Schools $12,000 to help implement a Dual Language Bilingual Education program at the South Street Early Learning Center, planned to open in fall 2027 (Fitchburg Public Schools). The need is clear: about 40% of Fitchburg students speak a language other than English at home, and 22% are English learners. The district ran a dual language program before but ended it because it could not staff it. This time, Fitchburg formed a planning committee and visited programs in Brockton, Worcester, Lynn and Framingham before applying (Telegram & Gazette).
The grants are modest next to state funding, but they arrive at the stage where districts most need help: hiring and training bilingual teachers, building curriculum in two languages, and planning a launch a year or more out. For a district like Fitchburg, that early support can be the difference between a program that lasts and one that fades for lack of staff.