Cabarrus board approves program changes, ending Roberta Road middle-school Mandarin continuation in 2027–28

The Cabarrus County Board of Education on June 8 approved program-choice recommendations that will discontinue the Mandarin dual-language immersion middle-school continuation at Roberta Road Middle School for the 2027–28 school year, citing sustained declines in community interest and difficulties staffing the program.

Supporters of the program flooded the board meeting during public comment, arguing the district was abandoning a long-term instructional investment. “Please preserve the Mandarin immersion program through middle school,” said Casey Burke, a parent and attorney, during the public-comment period. Several parents noted COVID-era kindergarten cohorts had depressed enrollment and urged the board to keep a stable K–8 pathway.

District staff and program leaders told the board that countywide applications for incoming kindergarteners in the Mandarin pathway declined from 64 in 2019–20 to 25 in 2025–26, and that the program needs a larger, sustainable cohort to run effectively. Presenters said the district and its language-immersion partner advise a target of roughly 50 students to sustain a cost-effective classroom model and that North Carolina’s middle-school staffing minimums make small sections inefficient.

Allison Whitaker, director of program choice, outlined recruitment and marketing steps the district has taken, including open houses, features during the program-choice application window, community showcases and media coverage. She said the recommendation to discontinue the Roberta Road sixth-grade continuation is for the rising sixth-grade cohort only and would take effect in the 2027–28 school year; current middle-school placements already committed for next year will be honored.

District leaders also cited a practical staffing challenge: the J‑1 visa process that historically brought native-language teachers to immersion classrooms has become harder to manage and is increasingly unreliable for filling positions on schedule.

Board members asked whether moving the middle-school continuation to another campus or offering virtual options could preserve the pathway; staff said those solutions would carry fiscal and scheduling obstacles and that any alternate program would not be equivalent to a full immersion model. The district mentioned potential alternatives for families, including credit-by-demonstrated-mastery and virtual coursework, but said those options would require additional funding and planning.

After discussion, the board approved the program-choice recommendations that include the Roberta Road Mandarin change; the motion passed with one member recorded as opposed. Staff said they would upload updated materials and continue work with families to clarify options for students enrolled at the elementary level.

The decision concludes the formal programmatic recommendation for the 2027–28 recruitment cycle; the district will continue to present recruitment materials and explore alternatives for families seeking Mandarin language continuity.