Foxboro committee approves one‑year STEM pilot in grades 1–2 after difficulty filling elementary Spanish posts

The Foxboro School Committee on June 24 voted unanimously to pilot a STEM special in grades 1 and 2 for the 2026–27 school year in lieu of elementary Spanish instruction for those grades.

School leaders told the committee they proposed the one‑year pilot after extensive but unsuccessful efforts to fill two part‑time elementary Spanish positions. A presenter for the principals’ group said the district posted the vacancy multiple times and received 17 applicants, of whom four were certified; several promising candidates accepted full‑time jobs in other districts. The presenters explained the change would allow the district to meet contractual 40‑minute teacher prep obligations and provide consistent, certificated instruction while the district continues recruitment.

The vote followed public comments from parents and a district teacher. Anna Braavo, who identified herself as a parent at IGO, said she and her children “absolutely love Foxboro public schools” and told the committee she was there to express “really deep disappointment” at the proposed discontinuation of Spanish for first and second graders. Lee Richie, a Spanish teacher employed by Foxboro Public Schools since 2007, said the proposed restructuring would “eliminate two years of world language instruction at the elementary level” and criticized the district’s hiring timeline, arguing “it’s unreasonable to expect qualified applicants to be willing to work part‑time in 2026.”

District presenters, including World Language Department Head Christine Smith and IGO Spanish teacher Holly Parsons, and principals who prepared the plan emphasized scheduling and staffing realities. They said elementary schedules are complex, some positions are 0.6–0.7 FTE and thus hard to fill, and the STEM pilot responds both to parent interest in more science experiences and to an immediate need to provide consistent specials coverage.

A committee member asked whether STEM specialists would be easier to recruit than Spanish teachers. Presenters replied that certification in STEM and dual certifications are increasingly common and that repurposing the specials slot temporarily would allow higher‑quality instruction than hiring uncertified part‑time staff.

The committee approved the motion to pilot STEM for grades 1–2 by voice vote, recorded as 5–0. The committee and district leaders said the pilot would be for next school year only and that the district would review results and recruitment outcomes before determining future programming.

Next steps outlined by presenters include implementing the pilot for 2026–27, monitoring student experience and staffing outcomes, and returning to the committee with a review after the year. The committee did not formally eliminate K–4 world language; Spanish instruction will continue in grades 3–4 under the current plan, and the district said it will continue full‑time recruitment efforts for world‑language positions.