LAKES INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE ACADEMY

K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH FOR-FEE PRESCHOOL. THE SCHOOL HAS COMPLETED ITS 21ST YEAR OF OPERATION. IT BEGAN AS A K-6 SCHOOL AND EXPANDED TO GRADES 7-8 IN 2015 AND GRADES 9-12 IN 2016. THE SCHOOL SERVES STUDENTS AT THREE BUILDINGS ON TWO CAMPUSES. KINDER CENTER SERVES PREK AND K; LOWER SCHOOL SERVES GRADES 1-5; UPPER SCHOOL HOUSES GRADES 6-12. K-12 STUDENT ENROLLMENT TOTALED 1293 STUDENTS IN FY25. THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE ORGANIZATION AUTHORIZED LILA AS AN IB WORLD SCHOOL FOR ALL GRADES. AUTHORIZATION OCCURS AFTER A THREE-YEAR CANDIDACY FOR EACH LEVEL: PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME FOR GRADES PREK TO 5, MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME FOR GRADES 6-10, AND DIPLOMA PROGRAMME FOR GRADES 11-12. AUTHORIZATION ONLY RESULTS WHEN A SCHOOL HAS BUILT AND IMPLEMENTED ITS IB PROGRAMME CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK TO EXACTING STANDARDS. THE SCHOOL OFFERS MANDARIN CHINESE IMMERSION AND SPANISH IMMERSION TRACKS TO GRADE 5. UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AS A FOCUS, BUT THE CURRICULUM IS NOT FULL IMMERSION. INSTEAD, IT IS MEANT FOR NEW LANGUAGE LEARNERS AS WELL AS FOR IMMERSION STUDENTS MATRICULATING FROM LOWER SCHOOL OR OTHER IMMERSION SCHOOLS. LILA GRADUATES TYPICALLY EARN THE STATE BILINGUAL SEAL ON THEIR DIPLOMAS. THE SCHOOL HAS GRADUATION RATES SURPASSING 95%.

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM, KINDER PREP PRESCHOOL. A FEE-BASED PRESCHOOL FOR AGES 3-5, KINDER PREP PRESCHOOL DOES NOT RECEIVE STATE PUPIL FUNDING. KINDER PREP PRESCHOOL OPENED IN FALL 2013. ITS CURRICULUM REFLECTS THE IB WHOLE-CHILD PHILOSOPHY AND HAS A RICH LANGUAGE COMPONENT, WITH TEACHERS SPEAKING CHINESE, SPANISH, AND ENGLISH TO ALL PARTICIPANTS. ABOUT 115 STUDENTS WERE ENROLLED DURING THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR. LICENSED BILINGUAL TEACHERS PARTNER WITH CLASSROOM AIDES TO DELIVER ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL EDUCATION, PREPARING STUDENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND. IN THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR, KINDER PREP PILOTED A TUITION WAIVER PROGRAM FOR LOW INCOME STUDENTS WHO WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE STATE PREK AID DUE TO CHILD'S AGE OR DUE TO A CHANGE IN ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCE AFTER THE STATE AID APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED. THE SCHOOL BENEFITS FROM THE INCREASED PREK INTAKE WHEN THE CHILD(REN) MATRICULATE TO KINDERGARTEN. IT ALSO ALLOWS FAMILIES WITH A STATE-PAID PREK CHILD TO HAVE BOTH THEIR PRE-K AGED CHILDREN ATTEND KINDER PREP.