It was announced on May 6th during a meeting of the Education Committee of the Upper Dublin School Board that the district’s administration had recommended ending its Latin language program (an email was also sent to the district’s families on May 14th). According to the district, the program has experienced declining enrollment in recent years, going from 127 students in 2020-2021 to 69 in 2025-2026. Assistant Superintendent Julien Drennan mentioned that ending the program has been an ongoing discussion for several years.

Currently, only 15 seventh-graders have selected Latin as their world language. The program will not end abruptly, as it will be phased out over time. If a student is currently taking Latin, they will be able to continue. Current sixth graders will not be given the option to enter the program as seventh graders. The Latin Club, which also includes students not taking Latin, will continue.

To highlight the decline, a slide was shared by the committee:

For approximately two hours, members of the community, including a former Latin teacher, students in the program, past students, and parents, spoke about the positive impact the Latin program had on their lives and education. The video below is cued to the public comment section.

It has been pointed out during the public comment period and on social media that the Latin Club has approximately 200 members and that the real issue is scheduling, not interest in Latin.

Another point, this one from social media, is that highly ranked school districts like Lower Merion and Radnor, along with many private schools, offer Latin, and that the Upper Dublin School District should strive to be listed among those districts and not districts that have cut Latin. AroundAmbler.com looked at adjacent or nearby districts and found that Wissahickon, Hatboro-Horsham, and North Penn do not offer Latin. Colonial, Cheltenham, and Abington do.

Those opposed to Latin being cut are encouraging supporters to attend the school board meeting on May 18th at 7:00 p.m.