Despite impassioned pleas from some students, the Naperville District 203 School Board voted this week to eliminate its high school Latin language program due to low enrollment.
Those students currently taking Latin classes will be allowed to complete the curriculum, but no new students will be allowed to register for it, officials said.
Naperville Central High School has 20 students enrolled in its Latin 1 class, which is far fewer than even a few years ago, and there are even less in the Latin 2, 3 and 4 levels, officials said. There are no students signed up for Latin 1 at Naperville North.
Current and former students and the district’s Latin instructor urged the district to retain the program, which few area high schools offer. Five students attended the Monday meeting wearing “Save Latin” T-shirts.
“It’s ludicrous,” said senior Nihal Kaki, who’s completing Latin 4 this year. “You can’t put a tag on it and say it has this much value.”
Board member Charles Cush was the only one of seven board members to vote in favor of saving it. A letter he received in which the writer said the class was referred as the place to “find your people” touched him deeply, he said.
“At some point in all of our lives we struggle to find ‘our people,'” Cush said. “And it is just difficult for me to vote on something that takes away from our people.”
More Top Picks Best Engine Hoists For Home Garages
Board member Donna Wandke said it is always difficult to eliminate classes or programs.
“This is my 10th year on the board and we (have) retired so many classes,” she said. “Change is difficult but change is what makes us move forward as a district as well.”
Jayne Willard, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, told the board at its last meeting that eliminating the course has been discussed and analyzed for several years. Ultimately, the declining numbers forced them to come to this conclusion, she said.
“These are not easy decisions,” she said at the Oct 3 meeting. “We keep our diverse population at the center of all our recommendations. We must balance this with high-leverage courses that lead to viable post-secondary options that are in line to growth career areas.”
Student Athena Chen said the change will impact future students, like her younger brother.
“My little brother wanted to take Latin and he is going to be upset,” Chen said. “I am just really sad that other kids won’t be able to experience one of the best classes.”
At the same meeting, the school board voted unanimously to add two new classes: Algebra 2: Modeling and Problem Solving and Career Internship, which allows students to seek employment in an area of interest and earn class credit for what they learn.
Joseph Ruzich is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.