Japanese Language Immersion Program Transition

A unified K-12 future rooted in excellence, care and community voice.  

This webpage will serve as the central hub for information, updates, and resources related to the transition of the Japanese Language Immersion Program (JLIP). It is intended for families, students, staff, and the broader community.

JUNE 2026 UPDATE: Superintendent’s Decision & Transportation Plan

4J's superintendent, Dr. Miriam Mickelson, has announced her decision on bridge transportation for middle school JLIP students, and the phased transition pathway to the South Region has been confirmed. Read the full family update letter below. This letter will also be sent home with K-12 JLIP student report cards.

Dr. Mickelson’s Decision - Modified Bridge Transportation
Based on the Secondary JLIP Transition Committee’s AM-priority recommendation, June 1, 2026

DISTRICT-PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION — MORNINGS ONLY
A single district bus will depart from the Kelly Middle School hub each morning and will transport JLIP students to Yujin Gakuen and Spencer Butte through the 2028-29 school year.

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY — AFTERNOONS
District transportation will NOT be provided for middle school JLIP students for the return trip to the North Region. Families must arrange after-school pick-up from Spencer Butte.

NO ADDITIONAL SUPERVISION STAFFING
No additional district staffing will be provided for:

• After-school supervision at Spencer Butte Middle School
• Morning supervision of middle school JLIP students at Yujin Gakuen Elementary

DISTRICT-PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION IS TEMPORARY

District-provided bridge transportation is available only through the end of the 2028-29 school year. Beginning 2029-30, transportation becomes a family responsibility per the district School Choice policy.

We recognize that many families made a long-term commitment to this program without knowing it would move to the South Region. That history shaped the decision to continue bridge transportation through 2028-29.

Honoring the Legacy Cohorts — Many current 2nd-5th-grade JLIP families made a long-term commitment to this language pathway when it was part of the North Region, without knowing it would eventually move to the South Region. This historical context matters deeply to community trust.

Acknowledging the Human Impact — We recognize that eliminating afternoon district transportation introduces a very real challenge for some families, and we do not take this lightly.

BUS SCHEDULE

• Morning (district-provided): Bus departs Kelly Middle School Hub at about 7:30 a.m., arrives at Yujin Gakuen at 8 a.m., picks up middle school JLIP students from Yujin Gakuen at 8:15 a.m., and arrives at Spencer Butte at about. 8:25 a.m.
• Afternoon (family responsibility): District transportation is not provided for the return trip. Families will need to arrange afternoon pick-up from Spencer Butte.

BUS PRIORITIES

To keep things completely clear and fair for the next three years, we will maintain the current Bridge Transportation priority structure:

1. 1st Priority — JLIP students who were enrolled in the Yujin Gakuen K-5 program during the 2023-24 school year
2. 2nd Priority — Siblings of the 2023-24 YG cohorts
3. 3rd Priority — North region students who are brand new to the Japanese immersion program pathway

Only one bus will be provided for Bridge Transportation. Seats are prioritized in the order shown above. Contact japaneseimmersion@4j.lane.edu with questions.

DOWNLOAD: Important Update for K-12 JLIP families: June 10, 2026

The district has determined the details and timeline for fully moving the Japanese immersion language program to the South Eugene region from the North Eugene region starting in the 2026-27 school year.

Highlights of the transition plan: 

• Students currently enrolled in the program at Kelly Middle School will finish out at North Eugene High School.
• New students who enroll in the program at the secondary levels next year will attend Spencer Butte Middle School and South Eugene High School
• Bus transportation for Yujin Gakuen students who enrolled during the 2023-24 school year will continue through 2028-29
• The program will fully transition to the South Eugene region following the 2031-32 school year

In 2025, 4J announced it was moving the Japanese language immersion program to the South Eugene region from the North Eugene region following an extensive review of enrollment patterns, building capacity, equity considerations and community input. The district earlier had relocated Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immmersion Elementary School to the Willard site in south Eugene for the foreseeable future. YG had been co-located at Kelly Middle School.

Over the summer of 2025, the district developed and evaluated various options for carrying out the program’s transition, which was informed by a family survey and extensive community outreach. Families supported a transition that allows current Kelly students to finish middle school there and move together to North Eugene High School.

The Secondary JLIP Transition Committee met monthly from December 2025 through June 2026 to guide the phased relocation of the JLIP secondary program from the North Region to the South Region. The committee included K-12 JLIP parents, JLIP teachers from all three levels, middle- and high-school JLIP student representatives, and district leadership. Its work focused on equity, student belonging, program continuity, and transportation. 

On June 1, 2026, the committee presented its final transportation recommendation directly to Superintendent Dr. Mickelson – including a presentation led by both middle school JLIP student representatives. Dr. Mickelson announced her decision to the committee during a virtual meeting on June 8, 2026.

The committee will reconvene in winter 2026-27 to reflect on the transition and assess whether any further recommendations are needed.

The superintendent's decision on the permanent, future locations of the Japanese Language Immersion Program was the result of extensive engagement with the school program community, including meetings and surveys with students, families, staff, alumni and community members.

• Japanese Language Immersion Program Transition Timeline: Phased Plan for a Unified K-12 Program
  The timeline outlines Eugene School District 4J’s phased plan to transition the secondary Japanese Language Immersion Program to Spencer Butte Middle School and South Eugene High School by Fall 2026. The report details key milestones, accountability measures, and strategies to ensure a smooth, inclusive, and student-centered implementation process—grounded in community voice and operational readiness.
• Community Reflections on the Japanese Language Immersion Program (April 2025)
  This report summarizes input from more than 500 students, families, staff, alumni, and community members who shared their hopes, concerns, and priorities for the future of the Japanese Language Immersion Program (JLIP). The findings shaped the Superintendent’s announcement on April 30, 2025, and offer a blueprint for a stable, equitable, and student-centered path forward.
• Japanese Language Immersion Program Transition Report (April-May 2025)
  This report summarizes powerful insights from families, students, educators, and community members following the Superintendent’s decision to relocate the Japanese Language Immersion Program (grades 6–12) to the South Region beginning in 2026–27. The feedback, gathered through a multilingual survey open from April 30 to May 7, 2025, outlines what is most needed to ensure a smooth, student-centered, and equitable transition for all.

• Email: japaneseimmersion@4j.lane.edu
• Interpretation and translation services are available upon request
• Individual family consultations availalble