Fort Bend ISD opened its first Two-Way Dual Language Program at Barrington Place Elementary in Missouri City for the 2026-27 school year, with kindergarten students now learning in both English and Spanish.

Leading one of those classrooms is Carla Menchaca, a teacher who arrived in Houston at 16 unable to speak English. She learned the language at Kempner High School, graduated, and spent years working her way through the district before landing in the role, according to a district feature published Aug. 18.

"Learning English as a second language was a challenge, but it opened doors for me and completely changed the direction of my life," Menchaca said in the district profile.

Menchaca was part of a cohort of teachers trained to implement the dual language program while she was teaching at Rosa Parks Elementary. She is now a kindergarten teacher at Barrington Place, where the program launched for its inaugural year.

Her path through Fort Bend ISD stretches back years. After graduating from Kempner, she attended the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD). While struggling with unemployment during her studies, a classmate told her FBISD's Extended Day Program was hiring. She took the job.

Menchaca later became a paraprofessional at Arizona Fleming Elementary and completed her student teaching at Townewest Elementary. She graduated from UHD in 2018 and was hired as a teacher at Armstrong Elementary.

Her mother, Yolanda Aguilar, joined the district as a paraprofessional while Menchaca was teaching at Rosa Parks Elementary. Both now work at Barrington Place Elementary as the dual language program begins.

The program fits into a broader push by Fort Bend ISD. The district's 2026-27 budget, approved in June, includes funding for multiple new language programs alongside improvements to teacher compensation and new pre-K3 and virtual high school programs, according to Community Impact.

The district has not published enrollment figures for the Barrington Place dual language program or said whether it will expand beyond kindergarten to other grade levels or campuses.

Barrington Place Elementary still had open pre-K seats as of an Aug. 27 enrollment notice. Families can contact the campus directly for current availability.