Healey is one of six elementary schools tagged for implementation of a foreign language program in the near future.

By Harry Kane

The Superintendents office is recommending a middle school foreign language program next year. Three middle school foreign language teachers are being requested in the budget. Approximately $171, 000 will be used to hire staff for the foreign language program.

“It is one definite new initiative that the school committee has wanted for a couple of years,” said Patricia Durette, the finance director at the Superintendents office.

Because of the fiscal crisis for the last few years this addition had been tabled, but this year it has been decided to move forward with the program, she said.

The foreign language program would be initiated at 6 elementary schools: Argenziano, West Somerville, Winter Hill, Healey, Kennedy and East Somerville.

Preliminary discussions have placed this year’s budget increase at 5.5 percent.

Principals, administrators and school committee members are meeting on April 24 to hash out the details.

Over the last few months a list of the recommendations and requests have been noted from different schools and principals.

“We’ve tried to prioritize them and that’s what we discussed in the recent finance meeting,” said Durette.

Budget recommendations include new staff, material or supplies and programs.

Superintendent Pierantozzi will recommend a budget in the beginning of May to the school committee based on these meetings and conversations. They will then hold a public hearing, and based on any comments from the public hearing they would address the budget if needed and then the school committee would vote on that budget. Bearing no issues, the budget would then be passed by the Board of Aldermen.