Spanish Immersion

We aim to be a great elementary school for any student and we want to have a student body that reflects both our entire school’s and Portland’s wonderful diversity. Our immersion program allows students to learn academic content while gaining literacy in Spanish and English. Students learn from heritage and home language Spanish-speaking educators as they develop proficiency in both languages. Please click on this program overview for more details and complete the application below if you are interested in joining the kindergarten Spanish Immersion program next fall. If there are more requests than places available, we will have a lottery process as outlined below.

2025-2026 Spanish Immersion Program Application

Fill Out the Form

Fill Out the Form

Required

Do you want your kindergartner to start learning Spanish this fall? Lyseth Elementary School has limited kindergarten spots available in its award-winning Spanish Immersion program. This opportunity is open to all Portland families by lottery, even if they don’t live in the Lyseth neighborhood! (Please note, however, that bus transportation is only available to Lyseth neighborhood students.) Application deadline is May 15, 2025. (Current Spanish Immersion families who are enrolling incoming Kindergarten students are asked to submit their applications by April 15, 2025.)

My child will be 5 years old on or before October 15, 2025.required

Yes

My child resides in the Lyseth School District.required

Yes

My child has completed the registration process to enter Kindergarten at Lyseth Elementary School.required

Yes

Spanish is spoken at home (Spanish is the student’s primary language/first language or the first language/primary language of an immediate family member living in the home.)required

Yes

Name of ChildrequiredSeparate applications must be completed for each child eligible for the program.

First Name

Last Name

Separate applications must be completed for each child eligible for the program.

Date of Birthrequired

Must contain a date in M/D/YYYY format

Name of Parent/Guardianrequired

First Name

Last Name

Home Addressrequired

Phone Numberrequired

Must contain only numbers

Email Addressrequired

If applicable, enter the name and current grade of the older sibling currently attending the Lyseth Spanish Immersion Program. Note that younger siblings of students currently in the immersion program at Lyseth Elementary School, and who live in the boundary, have preference.

Statement of Understanding

I agree to the Statement of Understanding.

Lyseth Elementary Enrollment Process and Priorities for Spanish Immersion Program

Our lottery process also guarantees a spot to siblings of current Spanish Immersion students, following previously agreed upon protocols created to support language learning in the home.

Please note: 25-26 Kindergarten students who have siblings in the 24-25 5th grade - or who have siblings who are alumni of the SI program at Lyseth – are not guaranteed a spot in the program. They do NOT have an advantage (or disadvantage) in the lottery.

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Spanish Immersion Community Meeting - March 13, 2025

Follow-Up Letter to Community - March 21, 2025

Lottery Priorities

Up to 10 spots for kindergarten siblings of current Spanish Immersion students who live in the Lyseth boundary.
Remaining spots will go to, in order of priority:
- Boundary students who apply
- Portland district students who apply
- Out of district students who apply

Lottery Process

All incoming kinder students who have submitted a Spanish Immersion Commitment and Lottery Form to Lyseth Elementary School by mid-May will comprise the lottery pool. Students must be living in the Lyseth boundary of Portland by the first day of school to be considered a part of the “boundary” pool.

Before the lottery begins, any sibling of current Spanish Immersion students in the pool will be offered a spot. Sibling status should be indicated on the student's commitment form and confirmed by Lyseth staff before the time of the lottery. Step-sibling and half-siblings are considered siblings.

The students remaining in the pool will be assigned one lottery number using a random number generator. The lower the lottery number, the greater the likelihood that a student will have a place in the SI program at Lyseth.
Spots in the class will then be filled by lottery number, from lowest to highest – within the three priorities.
Students not offered a spot will be placed on a wait list, ordered by lottery number and priority groups.
Lyseth staff will promptly communicate lottery results to all families. Any student who is on the accepted student list is presumed to be attending SI program at Lyseth for the fall of 2025. If a student has received a lottery spot at SI program at Lyseth and decides to attend another school, the parent or guardian should let Lyseth know as soon as possible.
A maximum of 10 students will be accepted into a multiage kindergarten/grade 1 class for a total of 22 students. PPS Class size is set at 20 for kindergarten, 22 for grades 1-3, and 25 for grades 4-5. through the initial lottery process. The typical maximum for any grade level at Lyseth is 22 and the state maximum for kindergarten is 20.

Special cases:

In the event that twins (or triplets) from the same family are in the lottery pool, they will be treated during the lottery number generation process as one student and given one number (assuring that either both students will get offered a spot – or both will not). In the unlikely event that the twins draw the final spot in the class, both will be admitted.
If at the end of this process, there are additional spots available, applicants from outside the Lyseth boundary whose home language is not Spanish will be considered.

1st-5th Grade Students:

Whenever space allows, (when a class is under the designated Portland cap numbers) we will try and add students to Spanish Immersion classes. Students will be considered on a case by case basis depending on the grade level - they will need to have a grade level (or close to) equivalent proficiency of Spanish to be considered to be added to the program. Interested families can contact the Lyseth office directly and if no space is available, they may submit their names to be contacted later on if space does open up. The same priorities will apply for students joining the program in 1st-5th as in the kinder lottery.

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