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Residents tell Greendale board schedule overhaul risks arts and trust; recommendation not on tonight’s agenda
Summary
Parents and residents told the Greendale School District board the proposed middle-school schedule was rushed and would shrink encore and content-area time; administrators said a recommendation is not yet before the board and more staff work and sample schedules are forthcoming.
Brett Meyer and other residents told the Greendale School District board on Monday that a proposed middle‑school schedule change, introduced in January, has moved too quickly and without adequate staff and community input.
"This proposal was brought forward in January with a lack of community and staff input," Brett Meyer said, adding that the process had "created a predictable breach of trust." Meyer said his calculations showed the plan would amount to "a tax of 37 minutes per day" on encore programs and urged the district to explore targeted adjustments — for example, reallocating morning meeting time — rather than a broad overhaul.
Kevin Saboza, another resident, told the board he appreciated recent outreach but said the draft would reduce music from three days a week to two and would cut science and social studies by roughly 34–34.5 hours per year. He warned that narrowing curriculum time could reduce engagement and the background knowledge that supports reading comprehension and critical thinking.
An administrator who presented communications to the board said staff and a design team had been engaging families and teachers over recent weeks, that social studies and science teachers had identified preferred instructional delivery plans, and that the team had compiled a list of needs to move program changes forward. The administrator said the "recommendation is not on the agenda this evening" and that when a revised recommendation is ready it will appear on a future board agenda.
Board members and residents pressed for clearer timelines for professional development and implementation, asked how tier‑2 interventions would be staffed, and emphasized preserving arts and extracurriculars while pursuing academic growth. The district said it will share sample adult schedules and next steps with staff and noted some identified issues will be addressed before the next school year.
The board did not take action on the schedule at the meeting; presenters described ongoing staff work and pledged additional communication before any formal recommendation is returned.
