Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Translation Accessibility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School committee approves short-term funding for Spanish and Portuguese interpretation and expands ASL access
Summary
The committee voted to fund Spanish and Portuguese real-time interpretation via Zoom (in addition to existing ASL) through FY25, approving a transfer of funds within the school committee budget; staff estimated $4,800 through July and about $9,600 annually at two meetings per month.
The Framingham School Committee voted Jan. 9 to allocate school committee budget funds to provide real-time Portuguese and Spanish interpretation for remote meetings in addition to American Sign Language, beginning at the committee's Jan. 22 meeting. The committee approved a fund transfer to cover the FY25 cost from school committee expense lines to additional-salaries lines so the city accountant can process the change.
Superintendent Dr. Bob Tremblay framed the plan as an accessibility initiative: "we will be starting to offer Portuguese and Spanish real time interpretation via Zoom in addition to American sign language," he said, adding that the committee and district leaders had prioritized the effort.
Lincoln Lynch, executive director of finance and operations, presented cost estimates and options for the short-term funding. Staff proposed an upper-end estimate of $400 per meeting for two interpreters (Spanish and Portuguese) covering a three-hour meeting; the FY25 estimate through July was about $4,800 (two meetings per month for six months) and an annual estimate of about $9,600 for two meetings per month.
Committee members supported making the expense visible in the school committee's budget as "a cost center" to show the committee's commitment. Member William LaBarge and others framed the vote as an equity and communications improvement for the district's significant Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking families.
The motion to allow staff to transfer funds from the school committee expense line to the additional-salaries line and to pay for interpretation through FY25 passed unanimously by roll call. Committee members also directed staff to include interpretation costs in FY26 budget planning and to run a communications plan to notify families when the service is available.
No additional permanent district policy was enacted at the meeting; staff said an annual line-item will be proposed in the FY26 budget process.
