Bibb County’s Mandarin Chinese program, which put the school system in the national spotlight, could be saved.

It would be a smaller program though.

The Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University, which trains and supplies the educators, has offered to pay for 12 teachers. Currently 25 teachers are involved in the program.

Ken Jin, director of the Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University, says "We still have to work on the budget, but I’m confident that we will receive the financial support to keep the program going for the next school year."

If approved, two teachers would be put into six elementary schools across the district.

Thursday night’s Bibb County Board of Education meeting was full of emotion as the board works to close an 18-million-dollar budget shortfall.

Among other things, officials have proposed cuts to fine arts programs.

Tags: education, Macon, Mandarin Chinese, Leah Fleming