Wake Charter School Hopes To Break Language Barrier

In all likelihood, Alberto Manzanares' best hope for learning both Spanish and English does not lay in his house with his parents.

"They speak Spanish all day," he said.

However, at

Casa Esperanza

, there is a dual language focus. Students transition seamlessly from English to Spanish. While Manzanares' parents want him to learn English, others hope for the opposite.

"I grew up in a Spanish-speaking home, but my American husband and I don't speak Spanish at home," parent Maria Triolo said.

Ideally, Manzanares will leave Casa Esperanza speaking better English while other students like Keriann Celeste hope to speak better Spanish.

"I know how to say flowers in Spanish -- flores," she said. "I like it very much and I think I like it a little better than school last year."

Casa Esperanza opened this fall in Wake County and it is still accepting students from preschool through third grade. As a charter school, it is funded by the state. For more information, you can call

(919) 855-9811

.