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Parents ask board to reverse plan to consolidate dedicated makerspace and science lab into single weekly STEAM block
Summary
Parents said the district’s plan to merge a dedicated makerspace and 45‑minute science lab into one weekly 60‑minute STEAM class would reduce program quality; they urged the board and administration to re‑engage stakeholders and explore alternatives.
During public comment, several parents asked the board to reconsider a staff plan to consolidate a dedicated makerspace class and a separate dedicated science lab—each previously offered as regular 45‑minute specialist periods—into a single 60‑minute weekly STEAM class with generalist teachers covering science in regular classrooms.
Parent Dr. Nadine Davy described the maker educator’s role as a specialized instructional expert and said merging the makerspace into a generic weekly STEAM block would be a “significant loss” for students. Other volunteers and a parent speaker who works closely with the current makerspace teacher said the specialized teacher created hands‑on learning that cannot be replicated by a generalist in a large classroom and urged the district to pause the consolidation and consult volunteers and specialist teachers.
District staff acknowledged the desire to increase instructional minutes and to align science across classrooms but said schedules, staffing and operational constraints led to the proposal. Trustees asked staff to provide more information on the educational tradeoffs, options for maintaining dedicated specialist instruction, and whether alternative scheduling or staffing models could keep makerspace and science as distinct offerings.
Ending: The board asked staff to return with a more detailed explanation of the planned program change, evidence of instructional tradeoffs and options for preserving the makerspace as a specialist class or offering a staffed after‑school alternative; parents asked the district to re‑engage the community before finalizing changes.
