The verdict in three sentences
A language immersion school in Nashville, whether its track is Mandarin, Spanish or German, sells something parents need to hear and see: children thinking in a second language. That makes video and native-language pages the two decisions that matter most, more than the choice of agency. A remote studio at a fixed price handles the site, the structure and the bilingual setup well; a Nashville agency is worth its fee when you need a recurring video series and a presence at community events throughout the year.
What makes an immersion school site different?
Most parents who visit the site of an immersion school in Middle Tennessee do not speak the target language at home. Their first question is not about the curriculum, it is about risk: will my child keep up in English, in math, in reading? A smaller group are heritage-language families who want their children to stay fluent. The site has to reassure the first group and welcome the second.
For an illustrative K to 5 Mandarin immersion school, the content priorities look like this:
- The immersion model, explained honestly: the share of the day taught in Mandarin by grade, when English literacy is introduced, how progress is assessed in both languages.
- Evidence without overclaiming: if you use external language proficiency assessments, name them and show results only with permission and context; no invented percentages.
- A day in the classroom: a two-minute video with real classroom sound is worth more than ten paragraphs.
- Admissions by entry point: most immersion programs admit mainly in pre-K and kindergarten, with later entry only after a language screening. Say so clearly to avoid frustrated enquiries.
- Community and culture: Lunar New Year, family nights, partnerships with cultural associations, with dates kept current.
- Parent tools: links to the parent portal, SIS or enrolment software are an integration on quote.
Which pages should exist in which language?
An immersion school is a natural candidate for a bilingual site, but translating everything is rarely useful. At Kolonell, Premium is the multilingual tier and the number of languages is set in the quote; the choice below helps you scope it.
| Page | English | Mandarin (or Spanish, German) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home and immersion model | Yes | Yes | First impression for heritage families |
| Admissions and entry points | Yes | Yes | Avoids misunderstandings on language screening |
| Tuition and financial aid | Yes | Yes | Families compare costs in their strongest language |
| Curriculum by grade | Yes | Summary page | Detail matters more to English-speaking parents |
| News and events | Yes | Key events only | Keeps upkeep realistic for staff |
| Policies and privacy notice | Yes | Optional, if counsel agrees | Legal text in one reference language |
Ask your native-speaking teachers to review every translated page before launch. Budget about 30 minutes per page; for 12 pages that is 6 hours of staff time.
How do the providers compare, and what will it cost?
| Question | Ask a Nashville agency | Ask a remote studio | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time zone | Central Time, same as you | Is the project manager reachable in our hours? | No fixed weekly slot |
| Meetings | Can you attend a classroom visit? | How do you run discovery by video? | No discovery session at all |
| Copy and translation | Who writes and who translates? | Is native English copy included? | Machine translation without review |
| Video and photo | Do you film in-house? | Which local crew do you brief? | Stock photos of children |
| Price | Fixed fee or time and materials? | What is in the fixed price? | Open-ended hourly billing |
| Ownership | Whose name is on domain and CMS? | Same question, in writing | Accounts held by the provider |
Build ranges below are a 2026 ballpark from typical agency quotes and public rate pages; translation and upkeep figures are market assumptions, not quotes.
| Option | Build (2026 ballpark) | Translation of key pages | Upkeep over 3 years (market assumption) | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance designer | $5,000 to $14,000 | $1,500 to $3,000 | $14,400 ($400 a month) | $20,900 to $31,400 |
| Nashville agency | $20,000 to $55,000 | $2,000 to $4,000 | $43,200 ($1,200 a month) | $65,200 to $102,200 |
| National education-specialist agency | $35,000 to $90,000 | $2,500 to $5,000 | $64,800 ($1,800 a month) | $102,300 to $159,800 |
| Kolonell Growth, English only | $4,900 | Single language | 3 months support included, then on quote | $4,900 plus upkeep on quote |
| Kolonell Premium, multilingual | $8,900 | Languages set in the quote | 3 months support included, then on quote | $8,900 plus upkeep on quote |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English copywriting and delivery in 3 to 4 weeks. Compare the tiers on the international offer page.
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When is a Nashville agency clearly the better choice?
Choose local if video is central to your enrolment strategy and you want a crew back on campus every term, if you plan paid campaigns, print and events with one partner, or if your board wants regular in-person reviews. Choose remote if one well-planned half-day of filming covers the year, your brand is settled, and you want the bilingual site live before the kindergarten admissions window.
The compliance frame
Keep the site parent-facing: COPPA concerns online services directed at children under 13 that collect their personal information. FERPA applies to schools receiving US federal education funds, which most private schools do not. ADA Title III generally covers private schools, while religious organizations are exempt; WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA is a sensible target in any case, including for the translated pages, which need correct language attributes. Tennessee has adopted a consumer privacy law whose thresholds many schools will not reach; your counsel confirms. Collect written consent for every child who appears in a video. This is not legal advice.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Lena, head of a K to 5 Mandarin immersion school in the Nashville area with 210 students. About a quarter of enquiries come from Mandarin-speaking families. She compares two paths for an English and Mandarin site:
- Nashville agency: $38,000 build plus $2,400 for translation through a partner, so $40,400;
- Kolonell Premium: $8,900, plus a half-day of classroom filming with a local crew at $1,500, so $10,400.
The difference is $30,000, roughly the cost of a part-time teaching assistant for a school year in her market (ballpark). Her teachers review the 12 Mandarin pages in about 6 hours. Upkeep after the three included months is on quote, so she budgets it separately and plans to refresh the video each spring.
FAQ
Should our site be fully bilingual? Not necessarily. Translate the 4 to 6 pages that drive decisions, such as home, model, admissions and tuition, and keep news and policies in English unless your community needs more.
Is Growth enough if we stay English only? Yes. At $4,900, Growth covers a complete English site; move to Premium at $8,900 when you need a second language, with the number of languages set in the quote.
Can we use machine translation? Only as a first draft. Have native-speaking staff review every page; in an immersion school, a clumsy sentence in the target language costs credibility immediately.
How long does the project take? Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. Add 1 to 2 weeks for filming, teacher review and approvals.
Which accessibility level should we require? WCAG 2.2 AA, with captions on videos and language attributes on translated pages, plus an accessibility statement.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your immersion language, your entry grades and which pages need translation, and we will confirm the tier, the budget and a 3 to 4 week delivery. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.