Three months ago the Butler School District took 108 Latin students to State College to compete in the 65th annual Pennsylvania Junior Classical League State Convention.

In a fashion that modern educators call integrative learning, the students demonstrated their Latin skills while competing in athletic, academic and creative arts competitions ranging from track events to academic tests, creative arts projects and performances.

They claimed second place overall, winning 85 awards in the academic, athletic, graphic and creative arts categories. They also won the overall chapter spirit competition for the third year in a row.

Butler’s Latin club — its official name is the Butler Junior Classical League, or BAJCL — is the largest school chapter in the state with 206 students.

No doubt, it was a demonstrated love for a dead language. That’s no surprise to those who have studied Latin, although those who haven’t will never appreciate the benefits of knowing Latin.

It is the language of law, government, logic and theology. Its roots make up 60 percent of the English language. It provides the root words for all of the modern sciences. It’s the foundational language of Western civilization. For many scholars, Latin provides a springboard into countless other academic disciplines.

So it seems callous (from the Latin callosus, meaning hard-skinned) and myopic (from the Latin myopia, meaning nearsighted) for the Butler School District to turn away students who are signed up to take Latin classes this fall.

For the 2016-17 school year, the district had 365 students requesting to take Latin classes, but it has only two Latin teachers, according to Brian Slamecka, assistant superintendent of secondary education. A third Latin teacher retired in 2013 and was not replaced.

This fall there will be four sections of Latin I, three sections of Latin II, three sections of Latin III and two sections of Latin IV.

With a cap of 28 students per class, 18 students will not be able to take Latin II; 14 will be locked out of Latin III and 11 will be unable to take Latin IV.

That’s 43 students in all.

The mother of one of those students complained this week that her son, a junior, needs Latin III as a college requirement.

“I’m hoping that this matter is not closed, and you would be willing to discuss it further,” Tammi Delano told the board.

The board really does need to discuss this issue in more depth.

This past spring, the school board cut a recommended position for a third Latin teacher from the proposed budget to minimize the deficit, a projected $4.2 million. That was a tough call, particularly since they knew to expect the increased enrollment in Latin.

There is no fair way of enrolling some students and rejecting others. But at the same time, it’s impossible to accommodate every student given the current budget restraints.

Consider a hypothetical question: If a high school athletic team makes it all the way to a state final, and the school district anticipates a large turnout of players in the ensuing year, does the district decide to build on the team’s success or cut back the program, citing financial difficulty?

It might not be the most ideal analogy, but the obvious answer is this: Call on the parents, boosters and community to sustain a championship outlook. The money is not in the budget, but it might be available from willing sponsors.

Butler’s Latin program has a championship outlook. Enthusiastic students are waiting to get in. And the program’s competitive arm, the BAJCL, is the three-time winner of the overall spirit award.

Mindful of the district’s budgetary constraints, it’s difficult to cut back on a growing, successful academic movement.