Students, teachers and parents urge Masconomet to keep Chinese program as committee weighs cuts

Dozens of students, teachers and parents urged the Masconomet Regional School Committee on March 4 to retain the district’s Chinese language program, telling members that an online alternative would weaken a longstanding pathway that provides community and college‑prep advantages.

"Chinese class isn't just a course. It's a community," said Elizabeth Shoemaker, a senior, in testimony that described six years in the program and the cultural and college‑planning benefits it provides. Several speakers noted a petition opposing the cut that they said had more than 500 signatures.

Why it matters: Committee members are balancing a tight FY27 budget and a district goal to reduce the tax‑rate increase; cutting the Chinese program would eliminate in‑person instruction for a cohort of students who and families have made long‑term commitments to the sequence. Students and teachers said the loss would have disproportionate cultural and academic effects beyond simple enrollment numbers.

What administrators presented: District leaders said they provided the enrollment counts the committee requested: 19 students in the middle school Chinese sequence (grades 7–8) and 32 at the high school (a total of 51 district‑wide). Administrators outlined options if the in‑person program is eliminated: rising seventh‑graders would choose Spanish or French; older students could opt into heritage language offerings where available; and the district would offer a virtual pathway through a vendor identified in the presentation as "Educier" at an approximate cost of $550 per student per year. Presenters cautioned the virtual option "cannot replace the in‑person experience."

Voices from the school: Eileen Mascos, a Chinese teacher, told the committee that removing the program would remove a pathway that attracts families and gives students distinctive academic and cultural opportunities. Students proposed outreach remedies — elementary exposure, information nights, honors tracks and recognition programs — that they said could raise enrollment without additional district funding.

Committee reaction and next steps: Committee members pressed administration for granular enrollment trends (how many students continue from middle to high school) and capacity in other language programs to absorb students. Administrators said that, historically, students who begin Chinese in seventh grade tend to continue the sequence, and that some high‑school Spanish and French sections could accommodate additional students with scheduling adjustments.

What they did not decide: No formal vote on the Chinese program occurred March 4. The committee also discussed department‑head consolidation and broader budget scenarios that could affect staffing. Administrators said they would implement any committee‑approved FTE reductions and requested time to work with department heads on consolidation details.

The meeting closed with the committee continuing budget deliberations; members said they will weigh enrollment data, the community’s proposals and the financial tradeoffs before making a final decision.