Ashland committee approves plan to shift middle‑school world language toward 8th‑grade Spanish; current French students to be allowed to continue

The Ashland School Committee voted Tuesday night to approve the superintendent’s recommendation to restructure world‑language offerings at Ashland Middle School, citing persistent staffing shortages and declining enrollment in French at the middle‑school level.

Superintendent Adams told the committee the proposal aims to reduce disruption this school year while giving administrators space to build a more sustainable program. Under the plan, French 8 will continue to be offered for students currently enrolled this year and next; 7th‑grade students will be given the option to switch into Spanish this year to prepare for 8th‑grade Spanish; and beginning in the 2026–27 school year the middle school will move to a model that provides 8th‑grade Spanish (with no routine 7th‑grade language class under the proposed schedule).

The recommendation draws on data and staffing realities at Ashland Middle School: administrators reported two sections of 7th‑grade French (33 students), eight sections of 7th‑grade Spanish (162 students), and 16 students enrolled in 8th‑grade French this year. The district began the school year with five dedicated world‑language teachers (four Spanish, one French), but several mid‑year separations left the middle school short of certified instructors. Adams said a retired teacher will take an 8th‑grade French assignment starting in January but that position is temporary.

“Given the current staffing and…