Sherborn Schools Propose Cutting Elementary Spanish to Once a Week

School Committee · Meeting of February 3, 2026

Sherborn schools propose cutting elementary Spanish to once a week and trimming nearly $500,000 from the budget. Meeting jointly with the Dover School Committee on February 3 at Dover-Sherborn Middle School Library, the two committees heard Assistant Superintendent Denny Conklin recommend shifting the elementary Spanish program from the current FLESS model of 90 to 115 minutes per week to an exploratory model of roughly 40 minutes once a week, driven by an instructional time study in which 69 percent of surveyed staff said the current schedule does not best serve students. Superintendent Beth McCoy said the town of Sherborn faces an $847,000 municipal budget deficit and has asked the schools to reduce spending by $500,000, and announced that a plan to add two curriculum coordinator positions at roughly $140,000 each would be put on hold.

High school enrollment is projected to fall from 679 students in 2019 to 400 by 2031, driving proposed reductions in history and guidance counseling staff. McCoy said budget version 2.0 brings Pine Hill's operating budget increase down from 4.43 percent to 1.43 percent, and that meeting Sherborn's $500,000 ask now appears achievable. A joint Zoom vote on the Spanish program change is scheduled for February 24.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of February 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.