St. Louis Language Immersion School (SLLIS) offers wrap-around services to support students, teachers, and staff, while inspiring young minds. The local charter school serves students in grades Pre-K through eighth grade, and its staff comes from around the globe — 18 countries to be exact.
The school offers a unique dual language immersion program in three languages: French, Spanish, and Chinese.
Their international perspective allows them to share their language expertise in the classroom and unique cultural traditions to enhance the students’ global understanding.
SLLIS also provides essential services such as a full-time school psychologist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, behavioral health therapist, math interventionist, two special education teachers, and several paraprofessionals. Next year, the school plans to add a counselor and a reading interventionist.
“One of the most extraordinary things about SLLIS is how the school brings together staff from across the globe and students from across St. Louis City in an international environment to provide a bilingual education,” said Superintendent of SLLIS Dr. Meghan Hill.
Following Hill’s sentiments, SLLIS Instructional Coach Samantha Shiver said, “Teachers are often the unsung heroes in our communities. Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to change the trajectory of a child’s life and help shape them into productive, empowered members of society.
As educators, we’re constantly evolving to give our students what they need, not just academically, but emotionally and socially, too. At SLLIS, we aim to create a just, equitable, and transformative school – and that starts with our teachers.”
Shiver aims to offer guidance, resources, and assistance as she helps teachers and staff navigate the U.S. education system. She also helps students and staff adapt to cultural differences they encounter in the classroom. Importantly, SLLIS is dedicated to ensuring that their teachers have the opportunity to share their own cultures and experiences with others.
The charter school was founded in 2009, serving Pre-K through 8th grade in the City of St. Louis. Students embark on a dual language immersion education in French, Spanish, or Chinese, taught by native speakers.
In 2024, SLLIS was honored as the Best Elementary Charter School and the Second-Best Middle School Charter School in Missouri by U.S. News & World Report. “We are proof that when the right work is done with intention, the results follow,” Shiver said.
According to STAR and MAP assessments, the students’ academic growth in reading and math outpaces more than 90% and 80% of schools statewide. “That kind of progress is rare, especially among students who have historically been underserved — but it’s happening at SLLIS,” she said. Hill added, “We maintain high expectations, meet students where they are, and work with the intention to promote high growth. We are committed to making decisions that keep our students at the center at all times.”
“This is the first school I’ve worked at where the right work is not only being done, but it’s
working. The results are tangible, and the energy is transformative. We are constantly working to improve based on data and evidence-based practices.”
Shiver loves to see the students transition to such highly rated academic environments, where they can continue to excel in their studies, and in many cases, further their language education. Shiver often tells the middle school students, “I’m not as interested in what you want to do when you grow up — I care about who you want to be.”
She says watching them grow into thoughtful, respectful, and compassionate human beings each year is one of the most fulfilling parts of the work. “We aren’t just preparing scholars, we’re striving to shape good people.”
This school year, 100% of the student body qualifies for free and reduced lunch, a population that is statistically less likely to experience academic growth.
According to Hill, SLLIS enrollment has increased over 20%, and it continues to grow. “This is truly remarkable progress in a metropolitan area where the birth rate and public school enrollment overall are declining,” she said
In the fall of 2026, the charter plans to add a third, French Dual Language classroom. “All of these exciting events that are coming for SLLIS speak to our commitment to continuous improvement as a school, our intentional focus on our students, our dedicated staff, and our engaged community,” Hill said.