Letter of the Week: Budget cuts slash into diversity

I am saddened to see that the Spanish programs in Olathe’s elementary schools are being cut because of budget woes.

The United States is the second-largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world, and there is a rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population in the Kansas City area. Not only is learning Spanish a practical skill, but it also teaches children to accept other races and the way they speak.

I was part of one of the first classes to take part in the Spanish program, and now I have basic conversational Spanish, which has stayed with me into high school.

I understand that the school board and superintendent had no other option than to cut the program. But maybe that decision could have been avoided if Kansas and its governing body placed a higher premium on education and didn’t cut the budget every time it found it in a hole.

Claire Fuhlhage, 15, of Olathe, enters her sophomore year at Olathe North High School in the fall. She is the daughter of Emmie and Dwayne Fuhlhage and has a sister, Hannah, 17. She is considering studying to be an engineer when she goes to college.

This story was originally published August 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Letter of the Week: Budget cuts slash into diversity."