City or borough district school boards and regional educational attendance area boards shall provide a bilingual-bicultural education program for each school in a city or borough school district or regional educational attendance area that is attended by at least eight pupils of limited English-speaking ability and whose primary language is other than English. A bilingual-bicultural education program shall be provided under a plan of service that has been developed in accordance with regulations adopted by the department. Nothing in this section precludes a bilingual-bicultural education program from being provided for less than eight pupils in a school.