FSD79 Recognized With 2025-26 Bilingual Education Award

Fremont School District 79 has been selected as a recipient of the 2025-2026 Bilingual Education Award (BEA) by the Illinois State Board of Education. The honor recognizes high-performing school districts for their excellence, growth, and commitment to supporting multilingual learners.

The BEA is a competitive distinction based on several rigorous criteria and indicators of district success, including:

• Receipt of Title III funds in Fiscal Year 2026
• District performance and proficiency rates on the ACCESS assessment in Fiscal Year 2025
• English Learner Progress to Proficiency Rates in Fiscal Year 2024
• Effective fiscal management, specifically looking at the carryover percentage of Title III Language Instruction Educational Program and Immigrant Student Education Program funds in Fiscal Year 2025
• Historical excellence, evaluating whether the district has received the BEA within the previous three years

Along with this recognition, the district will receive $10,000 in grant funding designed to enhance programming and build greater capacity for students. FSD79 plans to utilize these resources for:

• Professional Development & Expert Consultation: Partnering with an expert in the field to guide the district’s next steps and continuous improvement for its newly updated multilingual program design
• Family Outreach: Expanding the district’s connection, collaboration, and resources for multilingual families to foster a deeply supportive community

“I am incredibly proud of our multilingual teachers for wholeheartedly embracing the journey as we modernized the multilingual programming for the 2025-2026 school year,” said Dr. Tegan Dittmer, Assistant Director of Student Services. “Their dedication to updating our program design ensures our students receive the highest quality of education. What makes our district truly special is our commitment to embracing bilingualism as an asset to our community.”

The district extends its deepest gratitude to its entire teaching staff, support personnel, and administrators, whose daily efforts ensure that multilingual learners have the resources, instruction, and encouragement they need to thrive academically, linguistically, and social-emotionally. 

The award highlights the district's ongoing commitment to equity, access, and academic excellence for every student.