Aurora is about to put a new bilingual school where a shuttered elementary once stood—and give it the name of a woman who helped push Colorado education toward bilingual learning. Escuela Bilingüe Betty Benavidez opens next week as Aurora Public Schools' first Spanish-English dual-language magnet school, with plans to grow one grade at a time through fifth grade.
The campus, formerly Sixth Avenue Elementary, closed after enrollment fell and is now being renovated for its new mission, according to Denver7. The school will begin with preschool through first grade before expanding to pre-K through fifth grade by 2030.
Spanish First, Then A Deliberate Shift
The program will start with a 90/10 instructional model in preschool—90% Spanish and 10% English—before gradually moving toward a 50/50 balance in the upper grades, according to the school's official site. That puts Spanish at the center of core academic instruction, rather than treating it as an occasional enrichment class.
Principal Anabel Rafoul told Denver7 that launching the school was a yearlong process, including a curriculum partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder and a search for bilingual teachers. She said the goal is for students to feel that their language, culture and school community belong together from the first day.
APS says students entering preschool, kindergarten or first grade can apply regardless of whether they already speak Spanish. The first-year target is 48 preschoolers and 66 students each in kindergarten and first grade, with classes designed to include both native Spanish speakers and English or other-language speakers; kindergarten and first-grade transportation will be provided.
A School Named For A Political First
Betty Benavidez was the first Hispanic woman elected to the Colorado Legislature, making history in 1971. While in office, she sponsored the state's Bilingual Bicultural Act, a 1975 measure that established a framework for bilingual-bicultural education, according to the Colorado General Assembly's session law.
Her daughter, Susan Castro, told Denver7 that seeing her mother's name on the building was emotional and fulfilled a longtime family hope. The honor is especially pointed because the school itself is built around the language and educational access Benavidez championed.
A CU Boulder history of Benavidez describes her as a community-rooted leader whose work in West Denver schools and neighborhood organizing helped lead her into state politics. The new Aurora campus turns that legacy into a daily lesson plan, with children learning in the same two languages Benavidez fought to protect.
The Calendar Says Monday
One small date detail is worth clearing up for families: APS' published 2026-27 calendar lists Monday, August 10, as the preschool and kindergarten start date. That is the district's official date for the new school's opening, although APS advises families to check individual school calendars for any campus-specific changes.
