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Parents, students urge board to preserve separate Makerspace and science lab time
Summary
Dozens of parents and students spoke against a proposed consolidation of elementary science and makerspace specialists into one 60‑minute weekly STEAM class, saying the change would cut specialist instructional minutes from 90 to 60 per week.
At the May 27 Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education meeting, parents and students urged trustees not to consolidate two elementary specialist classes — dedicated science labs and makerspace — into a single 60‑minute STEAM class.
Nadine Debbie, a parent who said she represents more than 230 signers from El Rodeo and Horace Mann, told the board the proposed change would reduce combined specialist time from 90 minutes a week (two 45‑minute classes) to 60 minutes. “Programs like the Makerspace and the Science Lab should receive more time and specialist instruction and not less,” she said, and handed printed petition copies to the board.
Nico, an elementary student who spoke after Debbie, said he values both teachers and described personal attachments to his science and makerspace instructors.
Advocates said the two specialist classes teach distinct skills: makerspace instruction emphasizes design, prototyping and mentorship, while the science lab covers separate laboratory skills and curricula. Several speakers asked trustees to delay any change so the district can provide fuller information to parents and ensure the district’s recently posted STEAM instructor job description reflects the current scope.
Andrew Katz, who introduced himself as a former high school teacher and a parent on Zoom, told the board that a single STEAM teacher serving all students districtwide would carry an unmanageably large caseload and that the district should instead hire additional teachers so specialized instruction can continue.
District staff acknowledged that a job posting for a STEAM instructor exists and said hiring is underway; they also said parents will be notified and that the district is still finalizing the schedule. Several trustees asked staff to slow the rollout and return with more details before eliminating separate specialist classes.
The board did not vote on a change at the May 27 meeting; public comment callers asked trustees to preserve both programs and to consult families before any consolidation moves forward.
