By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
Kara Sussek, a resident of the Delavan-Darien School District, questioned the district’s commitment to its dual language program at Monday night’s regular board meeting. Her comments were in part because of the district’s decision to eliminate the position of Director of Language Acquisition, which currently oversees the dual language program.
Ron Sandoval has held that position since the dual language program was instituted in kindergarten. The program has been expanded one year since it began and will be offered in sixth grade next year at Phoenix Middle School.
The school board voted unanimously to eliminate the position held by Sandoval at a special meeting on Feb. 13.
District Administrator Jill Sorbie said at the time the move was made for restructuring and budgetary reasons in an effort to better allocate funds. She said the district was listening to public feedback from the effort to get a referendum passed last November which indicated many in the public were not happy the district cut 39 teachers and 10 support staff but few administrators.
Sorbie said the district’s dual language program is fully developed and much of the work to run it is already being done by other administrators, so the need for a director was lessened. She said the program now needs a “coordinator” instead.
President Jeff Scherer echoed those sentiments.
“As our district becomes smaller – and to be more fiscally prudent – we are trying to get by with fewer administrators,” Scherer said. “Some jobs will be combined with others and some administrators will have to wear two hats.”
Read the rest of the story in the March 14 Delavan Enterprise.
