Board member brings balloons to thank supporters

By Eileen Oldfield Staff Writer
   HILLSBOROUGH — In July, Board of Education member Frank Blandino floated a “trial balloon,” suggesting the school district designate English as the official district language.
   But at the board’s Sept. 8 meeting, Mr. Blandino brought real balloons — Mylar “U.S.A” balloons — to thank the people who supported his suggestion.
   ”My goal is to have each of our students learn to read and write and speak English,” Mr. Blandino said at the meeting. “In my eyes, that (declaring English as official district language) is the first step.”
   According to Mr. Blandino, he received an outpouring of support for his position voiced at the July 22 and Aug. 18 meeting. At the July meeting, Mr. Blandino mentioned noticing handwritten signs identifying various part of the building in Spanish during a facility walk through of a district elementary school.
   The signs were identified as part of the elementary school’s Spanish program at the August meeting, and were used as a teaching aid. Mr. Blandino said the signs were acceptable during that meeting, since they were part of classes at the school.
   The board has not discussed the matter since its August meeting, though Policy Committee Chairman Marc Rosenberg said his committee could look into the legal ramifications for declaring an official district language.