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Forest View Middle School unveils new seven-period schedule, plans eight staff reductions
Summary
Principal John Anderson presented a new master schedule for Forest View Middle School that introduces a seven-period day, a daily 30-minute MTSS Tier 2 block, expanded exploratory rotations and staffing reductions; the board asked for follow-up details on classroom counts and special-education placement.
Forest View Middle School Principal John Anderson presented a proposed master schedule to the Brainerd Public School Board that the school would implement next school year, saying the plan is intended to align staffing and class offerings with projected enrollment while meeting state curriculum requirements.
Anderson said the plan would move the school to a seven-period day, with core classes of 45 minutes, a first hour of 50 minutes for announcements, and a daily 30-minute MTSS Tier 2 block for targeted reading and math instruction. “Every student will be taking a look at where they're at and meeting those needs daily for 30 minutes,” Anderson said.
The proposal preserves teacher teaming where feasible, adds two rotation periods for fifth and sixth graders, requires yearly health courses for grades 5–8 and expands exploratory classes such as media arts, STEM and multimedia. Anderson said the schedule adds a fifth core section for teachers to keep section sizes lower and includes options for students in sixth through eighth grades to opt in to band, choir or orchestra or take career-exploration classes.
Anderson said the district must reduce staff to match projected enrollment under the new schedule and identified “a reduction of eight staff” as part of next steps. He said additional work remains on special-education placement and supports, curriculum development for new courses, grouping and assessment protocols for Tier 2 time, and some classroom reassignments within the building.
Board members asked for follow-up information. Director John Ward thanked Anderson and asked how much classroom space would be unused in 2025–26; Anderson said he could not provide a precise count immediately and would follow up. Ward also pressed for details on staff involvement in schedule development; Anderson said leadership began examining models in September, solicited staff input in December and again in January, and revised drafts after two rounds of staff feedback.
On music offerings, Anderson said the drafts never limited students to taking only one music class; sixth through eighth graders who choose music will continue to have access to band, choir or orchestra, he said. Anderson said the district plans to run the proposed master schedule as a “shell” for a couple of years while retaining flexibility to make programmatic adjustments within the structure.
Anderson outlined next steps: finalize staffing and assignments tied to an eight-person reduction, complete curriculum development for new classes, detail special-education placement, finalize Tier 2 grouping and progress measures, and reconfigure some classroom spaces. He invited board members to request a copy of the full draft schedule.
The presentation drew questions from several board members and no formal action was taken during the meeting; Anderson said the district would continue planning and bring refinements forward for implementation planning and staffing decisions.
