Catalina Foothills board votes 5‑0 to phase out Mandarin immersion at Sunrise Drive after months of debate

The Catalina Foothills Unified School District governing board voted 5‑0 on Oct. 28 to approve a gradual phase‑out of the district’s Mandarin Chinese immersion program at Sunrise Drive Elementary, a decision that followed more than two hours of public comment and a detailed staff presentation on enrollment, staffing and costs.

District administrators told the board the program was designed for a large, robust cohort but currently serves about 105 students across kindergarten through fifth grade — roughly 21.9% of Sunrise Drive’s enrollment — and is operating far below the design target of about 300 students. Staff said that spread across six grades, the smaller cohorts create scheduling complications that drive up per‑pupil costs and require additional staffing complexity. The administration presented a fiscal summary listing program personnel, curriculum and visa costs that it grouped as approximately $382,123 in annual program costs; staff also supplied a multi‑year schedule showing an estimated total cost to phase out the program that exceeds $1,000,000 when staffing reductions are phased over several years while honoring current students’ continuity.

Why it mattered: dozens of parents, students and educators from Sunrise Drive and elsewhere in the Foothills packed the boardroom and spoke remotely. Many said they moved into the district, or enrolled their children from outside the district, specifically for Mandarin immersion and that the program is a recruitment tool that brings state funding to CFSD. Parents and community members offered concrete help: volunteer recruitment teams, social‑media campaigns and local outreach were repeatedly proposed as alternatives to closure.

What supporters said: Lily Huang, a Sunrise Drive parent, said she moved into the district because of the program and described immersion as a ‘‘bridge to understanding’’ and a distinguishing educational asset. "Sunrise isn't just another elementary school. It represents forward‑thinking education," Huang said. Other parents and a second‑language specialist, Dr. Wen Ho Diao, argued the program’s academic and cultural benefits are substantial and pointed to research and alumni examples.

What staff said: Cheryl Castro, executive director of curriculum and assessment, and Dr. Bartlett presented enrollment trends, attrition rates and staffing models. Castro said the program peaked at roughly 205 students in 2018–19 and currently serves about 105 K–5 students; that decline narrows grade cohorts (the average enrollment per grade fell from about 35 to about 18), increasing per‑pupil spending and complicating daily rotations between Mandarin and English instruction. Castro and staffing lead Mindy Westover showed why small cohorts force teachers into multi‑grade rotations and uneven class sizes across the day, and why the district considers the current configuration operationally inefficient. The administration also outlined an option to convert the program into a district‑wide Chinese world‑language offering (K–5), but said that would require staffing across multiple campuses and would not immediately solve the cohort and attrition problem.

Vote and plan: The board approved a gradual phase‑out plan, as presented, that pauses new admissions at kindergarten for the coming year and removes one grade per year thereafter so that the program winds down as current cohorts finish (the administration proposed finishing the remaining cohorts through the 2030–31 school year). The board approved the motion 5‑0. The motion did not name a mover or seconder in the public record; the clerk announced the tally as 5 yes, 0 no. The administration said it will (a) honor current students’ placements through the phase‑out schedule, (b) try to reassign affected teachers across the district (offering existing certified staff district positions where possible), and (c) keep open voluntary parent partnership opportunities for recruitment during the phase‑out period.

Costs and fiscal context: Staff presented itemized costs: personnel (about $342,809 of the program total), curriculum resources (about $7,951), and visa funding costs; staff emphasized most program expense is personnel. Administrators said the reported program cost is a fraction of the district budget but also noted the district faces competing priorities such as staff salary step increases and district‑wide staffing equity. Parents disputed some of the administration’s line‑item framing and offered alternative calculations showing per‑pupil revenue that, they said, could support higher FTE allocation to Mandarin instruction. The administration acknowledged differences in calculation methods (ADM vs. headcount) and explained its accounting approach.

Community reaction and next steps: Parents left the meeting with mixed reactions. Many insisted they will continue recruitment and advocacy; others said they felt the outcome was inevitable after months of falling enrollment. The board did not set an additional vote to reopen the program, but members indicated they would consider new evidence if an immediate, verifiable enrollment surge met contract and ADM deadlines.

Votes at a glance • Approval — Gradual phase‑out plan for Mandarin Chinese immersion program (item 4.1): approved 5‑0. Motion text (as read): "I move that the governing board approve the gradual phase out plan for the Mandarin Chinese immersion program as presented." Mover/Seconder: not specified in the public transcript. Outcome: approved. Notes: administration will honor current students, phase out one grade per year, attempt teacher reassignment and present annual updates as implementation proceeds.

Implementation notes and immediate impacts • The administration’s recommended schedule pauses admitting a new kindergarten immersion cohort in 2025–26 and removes one grade per year thereafter so the program concludes with the last cohort moving out in 2030–31. Staff estimated the phase‑out cost (personnel during transition plus remaining resource costs) at more than $1,000,000 over the multi‑year period but framed that as the fiscally prudent way to honor existing students and personnel. Parents and volunteers signaled willingness to run targeted recruitment campaigns in coming months; staff noted legal and contract deadlines (open‑enrollment windows, staffing and ADM reporting) that constrain last‑minute reversals.

What the board left open • The district said it would re‑evaluate annually and could consider new evidence of a credible enrollment surge, but administrators emphasized that teacher contracts, ADM deadlines and staffing logistics make last‑minute program reversals operationally complex.

Sources: public comments and staff presentation at the Catalina Foothills Unified School District governing board meeting, Oct. 28, 2025. Quotations are verbatim from the meeting transcript.