“Our new name retains the district’s history by including the original name of Edward Hyatt,” explained Principal Inelda Luna. “By adding ‘World Language Academy’ to our name, SJUSD’s vision of bringing multiple languages to the campus is maintained,” Luna continued. She also noted that the name of the school will directly encourage students to enroll in Advanced Placement Spanish or International Baccalaureate classes in high school.
The new magnet school has a school-wide uniform policy for students, similar to what is in place at the district’s San Jacinto Leadership Academy magnet school. Per the district’s student dress and grooming regulation, requiring students to dress in a school uniform will “assist in creating a climate of physical and emotional safety for students and staff while building a school-wide learning community with clear, consistent, high expectations.” Parents of students in last year's DI program voted on a final shade of gray for the shirts to accompany the selected navy blue pants for the uniforms.
SJUSD’s pathway to a school campus housing a dual language immersion program-only gained momentum in the fall of 2017 when the district re-evaluated their elementary school configuration. Hyatt Elementary was experiencing declining enrollment while Megan Cope Elementary was facing overcrowding and traffic issues, with projections indicating enrollment will continue to increase in the next few years as new housing is built. A committee was formed with community/parent stakeholders to revise district boundaries and remove Hyatt Elementary as a regular neighborhood school campus for kindergarten through fifth grade, clearing the way for a magnet school.
Edward Hyatt World Language Academy opens on August 8, 2019, as a school of choice. For more information about enrollment in the new school, please contact staff at (951) 654-9391.