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Woodside Today
By the People, for the People
Walnut Creek Parents Protest Bancroft Immersion Program Move
Parents demand more time and engagement from district over plans to shift two-way Spanish immersion to nearby Woodside Elementary
Published on Feb. 12, 2026
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A large group of parents from Bancroft Elementary in Walnut Creek packed a Mount Diablo Unified School District board meeting to protest the district's plan to phase out the school's two-way Spanish immersion program and move it to nearby Woodside Elementary. The parents delivered a petition with 300 signatures and argued the district did not properly engage the community or consider the impacts on families, demographics, and school culture.
Why it matters
Two-way dual immersion programs like the one at Bancroft are seen as valuable educational models that build bilingual skills and shape community identity. The Bancroft program's transition to Woodside has raised concerns about disrupting families, altering the school's demographics, and a lack of transparency from the district.
The details
The district announced plans to gradually phase out the Bancroft immersion program over several years, starting with moving kindergarten to Woodside in the 2026-27 school year and adding one grade per year until the full program is based at Woodside. Parents argued this timing, just before kindergarten enrollment, could split siblings between schools and complicate daily commutes. They also raised unresolved questions about the program's impact on Bancroft's demographics.
- The district announced the transition plan in early 2026.
- The Bancroft immersion program is slated to begin phasing out in the 2026-27 school year, starting with moving kindergarten to Woodside.
- One additional grade is set to shift to Woodside each subsequent school year until the full program is based at Woodside.
The players
Mount Diablo Unified School District
The public school district serving Walnut Creek and surrounding areas that oversees Bancroft Elementary and the decision to transition its two-way Spanish immersion program.
Bancroft Elementary
The Walnut Creek elementary school that currently hosts a two-way Spanish immersion program that the district plans to phase out and move to Woodside Elementary.
Woodside Elementary
The Walnut Creek elementary school that the district plans to host the relocated two-way Spanish immersion program from Bancroft.
What they’re saying
“They did not engage us”
— Parent (KTVU)
“Current students "can have the option to remain in place" while the program is phased out.”
— Wendi Aghily, Chief of Pupil Services and Special Education, Mount Diablo Unified School District (KTVU)
What’s next
Trustees did not overturn the plan at the meeting, and it remains unclear whether they will formally revisit the transition at upcoming sessions. Parents say they intend to keep pressing the district for more data, a slower rollout, and meaningful family engagement before kindergarten enrollment begins.
The takeaway
This case highlights the tensions that can arise when school districts make major program changes without adequate community input. The Bancroft immersion program transition raises concerns about disrupting families, altering school demographics, and the value of bilingual education models that shape community identity.
