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Board weighs future of French program; district may add Spanish staffing in 2027–28
Summary
Lake Bluff ESD 65 staff recommended maintaining French would require a 0.5 FTE French teacher and a three-year sequence option; alternatives include Illinois Virtual School, and administrators projected a need for a 1.0 FTE Spanish teacher in 2027–28 if enrollments change.
District administrators briefed the board on options for the World Language program and potential staffing implications for coming years.
Superintendent Dr. Lisa Leali and Principal Blackmer reviewed a recommendation to continue offering French, noting that sustaining an in-person French sequence would require hiring a 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) French teacher and that a three-year sequence is recommended for instructional coherence. They discussed Illinois Virtual School as an alternative for certified remote instruction. Administrators also signaled a likely need to increase Spanish staffing to a 1.0 FTE in 2027–28 if enrollment trends continue.
Board members discussed minimum enrollment thresholds needed to sustain the French program; no formal vote was taken on program continuation at the March 16 meeting. The district will monitor enrollment and present staffing implications in future meetings before finalizing hires or program changes.
