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Resident urges Portsmouth school committee to keep Portuguese at Portsmouth High School
Summary
During public comment at the Sept. 23 Portsmouth School Committee meeting, a resident identified as "K. K." urged the committee not to phase out the Portuguese language program at Portsmouth High School and recommended steps to build a pipeline and preserve at least three world language options.
A resident identified as "K. K." told the Portsmouth School Committee on Sept. 23 that she strongly opposes a proposed phase-out of the Portuguese language program at Portsmouth High School and urged the district to preserve at least three world language offerings.
K. K. said Portuguese is “more than just a class” and described the language as a cultural connection for many local families. She told the committee that "over 95,000 Rhode Islanders identify as Portuguese or of Portuguese-speaking descent, and nearly 30,000 households use Portuguese as their primary non-English language," and argued those facts merit keeping the program.
In a prepared two-minute public comment delivered during the meeting's public comment period, K. K. cited neighboring districts that offer three or more languages—East Greenwich, Barrington and North Kingstown—and urged Portsmouth to match that breadth to support heritage learners and global readiness. She recommended several alternatives to immediate program removal, including reintroducing Portuguese at the middle-school level to create a pipeline, offering elementary-level introductory programs, exploring shared or hybrid instruction models and actively promoting the program’s cultural and career value.
The chair of the school committee noted the item was not on the agenda and said the commenter could return with further remarks at budget time. No formal action on the Portuguese program was taken during the Sept. 23 meeting.
Why it matters: K. K. framed the issue as both curricular and cultural, arguing that maintaining Portuguese supports heritage learners and aligns Portsmouth with higher-performing districts that offer multiple language options. The committee did not vote on the program; the speaker said she would raise the matter again during budget discussions.
Next steps: The chair indicated the matter will be revisited around budget time. The committee did not set a formal timeline or take direction during the Sept. 23 meeting.
