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Students, teachers and residents urge Masconomet committee to preserve Chinese program as budget vote nears
Summary
Students, teachers and community members told the Masconomet Regional School Committee on March 11 that proposed FY27 cuts would undermine the high‑school Chinese program and core academic departments, urging the committee to adopt the version of the budget that preserves the class.
Students, teachers and residents urged the Masconomet Regional School Committee on March 11 to keep the high‑school Chinese language program as members considered the FY27 budget.
"It's good to just have somebody, to come alongside you," Luke James, a member of the student advisory board, said of peer‑leading programs and asked the committee to support student opportunities, including language electives. Senior Natasha Bhatia told the committee she favored "scenario 4," the budget option that preserves Chinese, saying it would allow the district to move forward with stability while supporting programs that "contribute to our education and community."
Teachers described the program as a long‑term investment. "She started with just one class at the middle school, one at the high school, and she's built it into what it is today," French teacher Deidre Boucher said of the Chinese program's instructor, urging the committee to preserve world‑language offerings to advance inclusion and global competency. The district's Chinese teacher, identified as Ailey, thanked the committee for listening to students and families and asked members to vote to keep the program.
Other speakers, including a longtime Masconomet staff member, warned that cutting several positions would represent a foundational shift for the district: the staff member said eliminating seven positions risks losing programs, services and institutional knowledge and suggested alternatives such as reallocating one‑time capital funds to operating to preserve jobs. Parent speakers noted the program's reputational value and urged the committee to weigh long‑term costs of program loss, rather than only short‑term savings.
Community members reported a petition with roughly 706 signatures in support of keeping Chinese and described plans to promote the course in elementary schools to boost future enrollment. Several commenters asked the committee to approve the budget in the form that retains the language program and to consider an override so residents can decide trade‑offs at town meeting if necessary.
The public comments preceded the committee's vote later in the meeting to approve the proposed FY27 budget and town assessments. The committee also moved into executive session after the vote to discuss negotiations with the superintendent‑elect.
