Visa Delays Leave French Immersion Teachers Unable to Work at Kansas City School
Two French teachers at Kansas City’s top-ranked immersion school can’t work due to visa delays, with 13 more renewals pending.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — Two second-grade teachers at Académie Lafayette have been unable to work this month due to delays in U.S. visa processing, leaving students without their regular French-speaking instructors at the nation’s largest French immersion school. The disruption has created confusion and uncertainty for families at the highly-ranked public charter school.
According to Alyson Stewart, director of development for Académie Lafayette, the visa processing delays have affected international educators from countries included in the federal government’s suspension of certain visa processing activities. The current cases involve visa renewals rather than new applications.
“Currently, two second grade teachers are unable to work due to H-1B visa renewal delays,” Stewart said. “Thirteen other teachers are scheduled for renewal in the coming months.”
Impact on School Operations
The disruptions have created challenges for the school’s unique educational model. Académie Lafayette serves more than 1,450 students across grades K-12 and requires native French speakers to maintain its immersion program.
“At our schools, all subjects from K through 8th grade are taught entirely in French, with the exception of English class,” Stewart said. “Students are learning traditional subjects, but in French.”
The school employs 32 teachers on H-1B visas across its three campuses, alongside other international educators working under different visa programs. This reflects the institution’s reliance on a global teaching staff to sustain its French immersion model.
School’s Academic Standing
Founded in 1999 by parents seeking to preserve a language immersion program discontinued by the local public district, Académie Lafayette has established itself as a premier educational institution. The school was named among the top three school districts in Missouri in 2024 based on the state’s Annual Performance Report and consistently ranks among the state’s top-performing public schools.
As the largest French immersion school in the country, whether public or private, the institution has become central to Kansas City families seeking high-quality public education options.
“The school has become a foundation for Kansas City families who want high-quality public education and has played an integral role in keeping families in the city,” Stewart said.
National Context
The challenges at Académie Lafayette reflect broader issues with visa processing for international educators. A 2025 analysis by the National Education Association found just over 2,300 educators nationwide work on H-1B visas, representing a small share of the total teaching workforce.
The current situation has created additional uncertainty for the school community, as students who rely on daily French instruction from native speakers face disruptions to their educational routine. Stewart described the impact as creating “confusion, tears and a stark reminder of how international educators shape not just academics, but the heart of a school community.”
The school continues to monitor the visa renewal process for its remaining 13 teachers whose cases are scheduled for review in the coming months.
