Parents, students and employers assail proposed 45-minute high school schedule; board asks task force to review CTE

Davenport — Hundreds of students, parents, educators and local employers packed the Davenport Community School District board meeting on April 28 to oppose a proposed high school bell schedule that would cut many classes from 90 minutes to 45 minutes, saying the change would undermine career and technical education (CTE), reduce hands-on learning and raise safety risks.

The most urgent testimony came during the public-comment period after the district confirmed receipt of a petition on April 14 and the petition’s validity under Iowa Code 279.8b. Multiple speakers called on the board to halt or revise the schedule change and to protect CTE programs that provide internships, apprenticeships and employer connections.

Why it matters: Students and local employers said the proposed schedule would make meaningful CTE instruction — auto shop, welding, welding safety, and other hands‑on trades — “impossible” within a 45‑minute class and could cut roughly a quarter of existing instruction time across a student’s high‑school career. Board members acknowledged strong community concern and moved a formal board request to convene a CTE review task force; the board did not take a final vote on any schedule change at the meeting.

Public testimony and concerns

James Hotchkiss, a Moline resident who said he works with Davenport students through an employer apprenticeship partnership, told the board: “There is no possible way you can have a CTE class in 45 minutes.” He said the employer partners he represents would be unable to provide the same on‑the‑job learning if class time were cut.

Community member Corey Carter told the board: “It is my hope that tonight you will act and protect the futures of some Davenport’s most…