Darien Public Schools administrators are looking to expand foreign language instruction to the town's elementary schools, a proposal described as beneficial to academic development but one that would involve significant costs and scheduling changes.

Currently, students in the district begin learning French or Spanish when they reach sixth grade at Middlesex Middle School. 

Judith Pandolfo, assistant superintendent for elementary education, told the Board of Education on Tuesday that research shows the value of starting that process earlier, as it stimulates brain development and helps children better understand their native tongue.

Pandolfo recommended the district introduce a "Foreign Language Experience" Spanish course once a week at each elementary grade level. Under this plan, teachers would spend one to five percent of class time speaking the language, in contrast to more intensive programs involving 10 to 20 or up to 50 percent.

The FLEX arrangement would require elementary schools to shift from their current five-day schedule to a six-day schedule, she said, and would likely incur costs of $300,000 for staffing and $22,300 for materials.  

"One of the hardest parts is it must be an all-or-nothing. There is no way to phase it in," Pandolfo said. "Either we switch to a six-day rotation or we do not switch."

"It is a little scary to shift everything over to that model, yet overall it creates a nicer flow to the schedule," she explained, noting that many districts operate on a similar timetable.

Board member Clara Sartori said the cost was a possible sticking point.

"We need to vet this in a lot of ways," Sartori added.

Superintendent Stephen Falcone told the board he was mindful of cost implications but also touted the value of exposing young students to another language.

"At the elementary school, it is exploratory," Falcone said. "We are looking for them to get a better ear for other languages."

Matthew Byrnes, assistant superintendent for secondary education, discussed a related proposal to increase sixth grade foreign language instruction from three to five classes per week.

Such a move would also require a six-day rotation at the middle school, he said, as well as staffing increases of 1.5 full-time equivalency in either French or Spanish and 1.5 full-time equivalency in either music or physical education.