Catalina Foothills board tables Mandarin immersion first reading, schedules Oct. 14 and Oct. 28 after Sunrise Drive conflict

The Catalina Foothills School District governing board announced Sept. 25 that it would table the scheduled first reading of a proposed gradual phase-out plan for the district’s Mandarin Chinese immersion program after learning a family event was occurring that evening at Sunrise Drive Elementary School. The board president said the item will be reset for a first reading on Oct. 14 and a second reading on Oct. 28 so families can attend.

The matter was not discussed on the merits at the Sept. 25 meeting; the board announced the scheduling change at the start of the meeting and then opened public comment. Board members clarified that, because of open meeting laws, the posted agenda could not be changed after publication, so the item remained on the published agenda even though it would not be heard that night.

Lucy Hornby, who identified herself during public comment as someone who had read the district’s enrollment report, urged the board to broaden outreach about the program. “Once the parents committee was finally set up last year, you’ve seen an uptick in enrollment this year,” Hornby said. She said the district’s notification about delaying the discussion “was only sent to people whose children are already in the program” and argued that broader outreach would help preserve the program.

The board president responded to Hornby’s concern by noting the scheduling decision aimed to “provide the most opportunity for parents who have the most vested interest in that program to be able to come and speak or participate in our meeting” and reiterated the rescheduled dates. Board staff additionally told the public that parents who wished to speak about the immersion program during the Sept. 25 public-comment period were welcome to do so that night rather than waiting for the rescheduled readings.

No policy change, motion or vote on the immersion program occurred at the Sept. 25 meeting; the board only announced the schedule change and invited further public comment at the later readings.

Members of the public who want to speak when the item is heard in October were told to use the district’s usual public-comment sign-up procedures for in-person comments or the Google form linked in the YouTube stream for remote comment.