By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
After more than a month of collecting feedback from parents, teachers, staff and students on recommendations about the future of the district’s dual-language program, the administrative team that crafted the plan is ready to present its final recommendations to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education at its meeting tonight (Thursday).
The dual-language administrative team, comprised of school principals and district administrators, published a formal report with recommendations for the dual-language program on March 26.
The report called for expanding the Spanish dual-language program, consolidating all the Spanish classrooms into a dual-language magnet school at Frank Porter Graham Elementary (FPG) and phasing out the Mandarin dual-language program.
While many supported the expansion of the Spanish program, the majority of those who spoke out were outraged to hear that the Mandarin program could be cut, and that by the 2013-14 school year the only students attending FPG would be those enrolled in the Spanish dual-language program.
Soon after releasing the report, the administrative team held meetings and distributed surveys to collect feedback, which was used to create a recently released second report.
The new report acknowledges public support for a dual-language magnet school, but notes that the majority does not support FPG as that school.
Suggestions made by parents for alternative options to FPG were included in the report, and one, using the planned elementary school 12 as the magnet, received positive feedback from the team. However, the report still favors FPG, saying if the school board chooses to wait for elementary 12, discussions surrounding changes to dual language should cease until plans for the new elementary school have begun.
Regarding the Mandarin dual-language program, the administrative team discussed its widespread community support and offered one new recommendation along with two suggestions.
The recommendation instructs the school board to begin discussions about the purpose of the program before considering the original recommendation to phase it out.
The report then suggests the program expand and move schools if the board gives clear direction for the program. However, if the board is unable to provide this direction, the report suggests the program stay as is, to be re-reviewed at a later time.
The school board meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Chapel Hill Town Hall.