Fine Arts & Dual Language Academies: Solving Enrollment, Facilities, and Access Challenges Through Innovation

Every district has them: schools flagged for closure. Enrollment has shifted. The building is half-empty. The deferred maintenance costs are piling up. The consultant's recommendation lands on the table, and the room goes quiet.

In the winter of 2014, I was sitting in that room in Arlington ISD when a namesake elementary school—one with deep political and emotional ties to the community—was recommended for closure. Worried glances. Rising anxiety. And a question forming in my mind.

I raised my hand.

"What if we turned this school into an Elementary Fine Arts Academy?"

That question led to $172 million in sustained capital investment, a K–12 continuum that now includes four campuses, TASA/TASB Stars of Distinction awards, and one of the most sought-after choice programs in the district—with waitlists that prove families will choose arts access when you offer it.

Total Fine Arts & Dual Language Capital Investment:

Corey ES: $20M

Jones ES: $20M

Gunn JH: $62M

Arlington HS: $73M

CBS 11 covered the program's launch →

Last week, in The Cost of Not Playing, we explored the hidden costs when students don't participate in music. This is the other side of that equation: what becomes possible when a district leans into fine arts as infrastructure—not as a cost center, but as a solution to enrollment, facilities, and access challenges that have nothing to do with music on the surface.

This isn't just a "popular program." It's a documented district strategy that turned under-utilized buildings into high-demand choice academies and reshaped how Arlington ISD thinks about capital investment.

Here's how it happened.

Part of the Arlington High School Fine Arts and Dual Language Renovation.

Share Learning Space at the Elementary Fine Arts and Dual Language Academies.

The consultant looked at me, unsure whether to dismiss or embrace the idea. After a long pause, he surprised me by agreeing. He said YES, parents will want their kids to attend, solving enrollment and facility utilization problems. Essentially, self-selecting a transfer to utilize buildings that otherwise would need to be taken offline.

At that moment, the idea was born—but it was just the beginning. Not long after, another elementary school was recommended for closure. The pressure was mounting, and the conversation turned to replicating the Fine Arts Academy at another location. That’s when I raised my concerns. Having two fine arts academies could drain other schools in the district. Instead, I proposed a dual focus: combining fine arts with a language immersion program, specifically Spanish.

The concept evolved into something much larger than I had initially imagined. We settled on a model where both schools—one on the south side of the district and one on the north—would house two distinct strands: a Fine Arts Academy and a Language Immersion Academy. However, as we delved into the logistics, we realized that housing two separate strands in one school would be challenging to execute effectively. It was clear that we needed to find a more cohesive solution.

That’s when we landed on an idea that seamlessly blended the fine arts and language components. The result was a curriculum that offered Spanish language immersion for core content and instruction in four arts strands: music, visual art, dance, and theater. We even added a piano class to the rotation, ensuring that all students would experience music daily.

Class Piano Rooms at both Elementary Fine Arts Academies.

The success of this idea was not just in its execution but in the commitment of everyone involved. The bond package for the two campuses included over $20 million in capital improvements per school. The facilities work was strategic, not cosmetic, aligning physical space with the program’s academic and cultural goals and setting the stage for continued investment and expansion district-wide. These weren’t just cosmetic updates; we renovated the buildings with purpose, working closely with architects who were passionate about the project. A year was spent developing a thoughtful program and curriculum, ensuring that the Fine Arts Academy would be more than just a name change—it would be a place where students could thrive.

And thrive they did. The Fine Arts and Dual Language Academy became one of the most popular programs in the district, with a long waitlist of eager students. Parents embraced this rigorous fine arts and dual language learning opportunity, creating high demand and long waitlists that reflected the academy’s value for families across the district. As the years passed, I saw firsthand how the program created a lasting impact on the students and families of Arlington ISD.

The success at the elementary level has grown into a full K–12 continuum: students continue in the Fine Arts & Dual Language pathway at Gunn Junior High and then at Arlington High School, creating a seamless progression of arts and language immersion instruction through graduation.

As the first cohorts progressed, a transformation of a junior high became necessary to sustain the Fine Arts & Dual Language continuum. Arlington ISD’s commitment to the fine arts and dual language strand is visible not only in enrollment and program demand but in its capital investment. The Gunn Junior High campus — revitalized with a $62M redevelopment that supports arts, language, and community spaces — reflects the strategic prioritization of access and excellence.

The Gunn Junior High Fine Arts & Dual Language Academy.

The Gunn Junior High Fine Arts & Dual Language Academy — a continuation of this strand — earned multiple Stars of Distinction awards for community planning and transformation, validating how academic strategy drove impactful investment in facilities.

Looking back on it, I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of such an innovative and collaborative effort. It wasn’t just about creating a program but providing access and excellence to every student, no matter their background. We brought together a dedicated team from world languages, fine arts, academics, and facilities to make this dream a reality. Although many of the team members have since moved on to new roles and projects, the impact of their work continues to resonate today.

And now, as I watch the first kindergartners from the program move into a renovated—$73M—Arlington High School, I can’t help but reflect on how special that time was. We were working not just for the present but for the future of Arlington ISD. We knew we were part of something important—something that would benefit students for years to come.

Ultimately, it wasn’t just about the buildings or the programs; it was about ensuring every student had the opportunity to succeed through access and excellence, driven by innovation.

We will all always be proud to have helped create this legacy program.

Would you like to learn more about this? Have any questions? Send an email: jeremy@schoolmusicconsulting.com