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Board hears phase‑2 plan for 2026–27 high‑school schedule; public concerns push for clear timetable
Summary
District staff described a phase‑2 planning process that will test high‑school schedule options in a June 'sandbox' and target implementation changes for the 2026–27 school year; board members urged faster, clearer decisions in response to public concern about course access and block scheduling.
District staff briefed the board on phase‑2 planning for a potential change to the high‑school master schedule and outlined next steps including a June “sandbox” for schedulers and summer curriculum work.
Diane (district scheduling lead) said a cross‑departmental team of teachers, counselors, instructional coaches and administrators has been meeting to explore how semester block courses could be paired with independent study, peer tutoring, service learning or quarter‑length courses to reduce conflicts and increase student options.
“We talked about, when you have a block, what can come in behind the block?… having an independent study or a peer tutor structure,” Diane said. The team has been looking at existing course requests and said schedulers will populate a sandbox in June so the district can test which combinations reduce conflicts and which are feasible for staffing.
Staff emphasized that a schedule change alone is not a silver bullet for student outcomes and said instruction remains the district’s biggest lever for improving learning. The team also noted that ninth‑grade schedules are generally the most constrained and that many options are more viable for upper‑class students.
Board members and community advocates have asked whether changes could apply to 2025–26; staff said the current master schedule and course guide timelines make 2025–26 changes infeasible and that the district is planning for possible implementation in 2026–27. “We had a March 28 date with our master schedules for our buildings. So those are, in progress for sure. The phase 2 team is coming together to say, what can we do in 26/27?” a district representative said.
Board member Paschen and others pressed for faster, clearer proposals, requesting a specific plan over the summer and a definitive proposal by the fall. Staff pointed to the course‑guide deadline in October and said they will prepare updates, including data gathered from the sandbox and pilot work, and recommended bringing some items to the agenda rather than only a Friday report.
No formal board vote was taken; the item was informational. Staff listed members of the phase‑2 team including Shannon Buckley, Brianna Moshman, Marshall Callaway, Tammy Aslan Nagle, Angela Reeves, Katie Dofson, Ben Dris, Katrina Hill, Leanne Anderson, Michael Fitelli, Jessica Hankins and Wayne Cable.
Board members asked that the decision process remain mindful of community input and requested timely public updates as plans solidify.
