Kindergarten Mandarin and 8th-Grade Nuclear Physics: New Courses For Round Rock Kids?

Ask kindergartners, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Often, they’ll shrug.

Soon, a kindergartner may answer: “Voy a ser un diplomático a las Naciones Unidas.”

When a new world language school is established in Round Rock, answers like this one — “I’m going to be a diplomat at the United Nations” — may be more common than the “beats me” shrug.

A world language school for kindergarten through eighth could be a reality as soon as next school year. Trustees of the school district gave the staff permission to explore the creation of it along with a fine arts academy for elementary and middle-school students, and a science, technology, engineering and math school, during a workshop on Oct. 8, reported Community Impact Newspaper, and interest has been high.

At the workshop, Daniel Presley, chief of schools and innovation, said that bond funding was available to set up a specialized school at C.D Fulkes Middle School in Round Rock. He said that due to Round Rock’s expanding art community a fine art academy for the school would be a good option, but a world language school is also a choice.

Presley said he would have to work with his staff to see which of these schools are established for the 2016-2017 school year, and which will come later. But one thing was already decided: Some of these schools could be ready by fall of next year.

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Many of the trustees had different opinions on which types specialized schools would be best. Trustee Teri Romere suggested a vocational career-path high school, while Superintendent Steve Flores proposed a tech school due to Dell’s Round Rock headquarters being so close to the school district.

Some trustees were even skeptical of specializing. Trustee Diane Cox voiced her concern that specialized schools may lack in other academic areas, and that students may have trouble transporting to the new schools, reported Community Impact.

But Presley assured doubters that students who chose to transfer into these focused schools will be supported.

“We will provide the support that our kids need no matter which campus they’re on,” Presley said.