Adult ESL learners and their children came out in droves to rally for Sacramento City Unified School District to reinstate funding for the ESL program at Fremont Adult School in Sacramento. Seventy people waved signs and cheered outside the school district office on 47th Avenue on Thursday. Countless cars honked and showed their support.

Student Juan Navarrete said in a letter to the school board, “I learned a lot as you see. Now I can write, read, speak. Also I completed my GED and some computer programs, but the more important thing is that I can help my kids with homework. Incredibly, their grades have gone up in school. They have dreams, hopes, they have a future.”

Teacher Marge Matoba said, “With the school slated for closure at the end of this semester, students are understandably devastated at the prospect of having nowhere to go to learn English so they can survive and thrive in Sacramento.”

To get involved, e-mail savefremont@hotmail.com.

With more than 2,000 students enrolled in its 181-day regular school year programs, Fremont School for Adults works to educate adults so they will have the basic life skills and academic skills essential to be successful. Fremont students come from around the world and bring with them a wide range of languages and cultures, providing the campus with rich cultural diversity. Fremont offers a fully accredited High School Completion program, as well as an ESL program and an Adult Basic Education program that provides foundation skills for elementary reading, writing and math. Fremont also offers GED test preparation.