As Question 2 Sails To Victory, City Braces

A statewide ballot initiative banning bilingual education for public school students who don’t speak English passed easily yesterday by more than a two-to-one margin.

Across Massachusetts, 71 percent of voters supported Question 2. But in Cambridge, where opposition to the measure has been strong, the proportion was nearly reversed—with 62 percent voting against.

Although Cambridge officials said they were disappointed that the initiative passed, they said they were not surprised.

“I guess we were prepared in Cambridge to implement what’s required of the law,” said Corinne Varon, the city’s assistant director of bilingual education.

She said the school district will have to modify its six existing bilingual programs, including the popular Amigos program, to add a one year of English immersion before students can choose to pursue bilingual instruction.

School officials have also said they will actively help parents obtain Question 2 waivers that would permit their children to attend bilingual classes even if they are not proficient in English.

Parents with children in bilingual programs have said they fear the ballot initiative will segregate students placed in English immersion programs.

“All these programs and schools have been created to ensure that all these kids will not be segregated,” said Amigos parent Marla Erlien. “Coming in to segregate off everyone who can’t pass a particular English test is just a disaster.”

—Staff writer Claire A. Pasternack can be reached at cpastern@fas.harvard.edu.