Parents say Pennsbury middle-school block scheduling is shrinking music participation; district disputes figures

Pennsbury School Board Aug. 21, 2025

Parents and students told the Pennsbury School Board on Aug. 21 that changes to middle-school schedules and to how music classes are organized have reduced student participation in choir, orchestra and band and contributed to teacher turnover.

At the meeting, Tim Mitchell of Falls Township said a recent right-to-know request showed sharp declines at Pennwood Middle School in choir enrollment, and he described how alternating-day scheduling can leave some students attending ensemble classes far less frequently than their peers. “In Pennwood…145 kids were in chorus last year. This year, 84,” Mitchell said, describing that as a 42% reduction in the chorus at that school.

Why it matters: Parents and commenters said cohesive rehearsal time is essential for ensemble work and warned that reduced minutes together will degrade musical offerings and extracurricular performances. Several speakers tied scheduling to recent resignations of music staff and urged the district to preserve consistent ensemble time.

District response and records: Dr. Brown said the central office does not collect middle-school participation data in the same way the speakers described and said that, until this school year, participation was not technically a registered PowerSchool course. “This year, for 25–26, students selected a course. Therefore, there’s a record that exists in PowerSchool,” Brown said, adding that participation across the three middle schools is “consistent with where it has been in prior years.”

Board clarification and procedures: Board members said a 30-day extension was requested for one right-to-know request rather than a denial. Dr. Smith, in an earlier report, described the district’s preparations for the start of the school year and said administrators are continuing to monitor start times, transportation and staffing.

What the commenters asked for: Parents urged the board to review block scheduling practices, provide transparent enrollment and budget data for music programs, and consider schedule or staffing changes to preserve ensemble continuity. Amy Edgel, a Falls Township parent, said two music teachers had resigned and that students and families were anxious about whether musicals and honors choir would proceed.

What the district said it will do: Brown invited parents to meet to review assessments, curriculum and block-scheduling details, and he described the change in how the district will record ensemble participation in PowerSchool for the current school year.

Ending: The board did not take formal action on scheduling or music staffing at the Aug. 21 meeting. Several parents asked the district to provide clearer, itemized budget and participation data; the board said it would address records requests and offered follow-up meetings with district staff.