Latin language supporters will consider raising money in order
to get introductory Latin classes reinstated at San Benito High
School in 2006.
Hollister – Latin language supporters will consider raising money in order to get introductory Latin classes reinstated at San Benito High School in 2006.
When life-long Latin student and assistant teacher Pam Rocco heard of the school’s decision to drop the introductory Latin class, she gathered parents and students together to encourage school officials to reconsider the decision. Rocco is now considering raising money to fund the class.
Superintendent Jean Burns Slater said if the group could raise half of the money to fund the class (about $7,000) the school would provide the rest and the class could be added to the 2006-2007 curriculum. Slater, who took four years of Latin in high school, said she had worked on the Mandarin Chinese committee at another school district which raised money to fund a similar class for the Chinese language.
“(Latin) has been very helpful to me,” Slater said. “I’d love to offer Latin, but students need to be interested in it.”
Slater said the school’s decision to drop Latin I was not permanent and the class could be reinstated if more students were interested in the future.
“If they get 80 students who want to take Latin, then that’s a great program,” Slater said.
The program will be phased out over the next two years due to low student enrollment, but students who took the introductory class last year would be allowed to continue. Since the introductory class will be dropped, the Latin program will eventually be discontinued entirely unless demand for the class increases.
Without Latin, students have the choice of only two languages, Spanish and French, to complete college language requirements. Rocco said this doesn’t provide enough diversity for students.
Rocco said she and other Latin supporters have not yet decided whether they will start fundraising, but it is definitely a possibility. Latin supporters will wait to make a decision about fundraising until the teacher, Jan Gaylord, returns from Costa Rica. Rocco said it would be hard for the group to raise $7,000 because many of the students families are busy.
“Most parents don’t have much time for fundraising,” Rocco said.
It’s too late for the class to be added to this year’s schedule, but Rocco said it could be added next year.
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
