Board reviews music curriculum renewal; student speaker urges schedule changes for ensemble students

The Averill Park Central School District board heard a presentation on the district’s music curriculum renewal and proposed elementary staffing changes, and received a public comment urging action on recurring schedule conflicts that affect students enrolled in multiple music classes.

The district’s music team — led in presentation by Lauren Rozinski (middle school band director and teacher leader for music) with Betsy Baker (elementary representative), Sabrina Mana (middle school choral), and Leslie Elashuk (high school choral teacher) — outlined a multi‑year plan to align instruction across grade levels, revise rehearsal expectations and shift some elementary staffing from building‑based full‑time roles to content‑specialized positions that travel between schools.

The team said the current elementary model has three full‑time positions (one assigned to each elementary building) who each teach general music, grade‑level band/orchestra, chorus and instrumental lessons. To strengthen vertical continuity and to use staff strengths more effectively, the renewal recommends keeping three FTEs at the elementary level but reorganizing duties so one teacher provides general music and chorus across two buildings on a rotating schedule and a counterpart focuses on instrumental instruction and lessons at the same two buildings. The third elementary position would remain in place at the third elementary school, covering the full range of music teaching at that site.

Presenters described additional goals: align choral and instrumental curriculum from grades 5–12, create shared rehearsal expectations and assessment practices, adopt mentor texts and vertical scope and sequence documents, and rethink grading toward mastery levels (beginning/intermediate/advanced) rather than strictly by numeric grade level. The group said a retirement in the orchestra area increases the urgency of inviting general‑music and orchestra teachers into the renewal team next year to “round out the music program.”

In public comment, April Park High School sophomore Theo Hart urged the board to act on recurring scheduling conflicts that repeatedly force multi‑ensemble music students to drop core or advanced academic classes. Hart said these are not isolated instances and called for structural scheduling changes, writing in part: “Most music students, especially if they're taking multiple music classes, have to sacrifice courses ... Are we truly embodying our [motto] if the same group of students are consistently subjected to a worse, less desirable schedule?” He suggested rotating singleton classes or opening a dedicated block for some music classes and noted a student petition with nearly 300 signatures from parents and students concerned about the issue.

Board members and presenters discussed logistics raised in the presentation: the elementary schedule described uses a six‑day rotation (three days at one site, three days at the other) so that traveling teachers deliver the same content at both buildings rather than staying at one site full time; presenters said some districts use the same pattern for art and specialty instruction. The team said their planning is intended to keep student enrollment steady at transition grades (5→6 and 8→9) and to foster collaboration among ensembles and age levels.

Presenters emphasized next steps: bring revised curriculum documents and the shared instructional toolkit to department meetings, invite additional teachers (general music and orchestra) to the renewal team next year, and roll out aligned rehearsal expectations and assessment practices incrementally with professional development.

The board did not take a formal vote on staffing at this meeting. The district and the music team characterized the work as an in‑progress renewal; presenters and board members said they expected additional follow‑up in public sessions and further detail before any staffing proposition would be placed before voters.