Baltimore County’s superintendent wants to shrink some class sizes. That comes at a cost.

Teaching Spanish is Ilene Chupnick’s passion. She loves helping fourth and fifth graders get an early start on learning a new language through Baltimore County Public Schools’ Passport program. So, when she found out Feb. 5 that the program would be ending after next school year, she had trouble sleeping and eating in the days ahead. “I thought I’d be doing this until I retire,” Chupnick said tearfully. She’s been teaching in the program since 2015. “I only have seven years left.”