BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Blaine County School District Board of Trustees has adopted and approved a Biliteracy Seal for high school graduates.
Students who have gained proficiency in two or more languages will get the Biliteracy Seal on their diplomas beginning with the 2021 graduating class.
“The Biliteracy Seal can be incredibly valuable when applying for college, scholarships and employment opportunities well into the future,” said Interim Superintendent Fritz Peters. “We are excited to celebrate and recognize our bilingual students in this new way, one that will provide them benefits as they move to the next stage of their lives.”
Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Angie Martinez worked to gain approval for BCSD’s Biliteracy Seal from the State of Idaho.
The Biliteracy Seal originated in California in 2008 and was formally adopted by the state in 2011. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia now offer a State Seal. One of the languages must be English. The others can range from Spanish to American Sign Language.
Idaho is the latest state to adopt the Biliteracy Seal, doing so in 2020.