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Portland Public Schools committee forwards Cliff Island schedule change to full board
Summary
The policy committee voted unanimously Aug. 11 to send a request to the full Portland Public Schools board to revise Cliff Island Elementary’s day to 8:20 a.m.–3:05 p.m. with a Wednesday early release at 12:20 p.m., citing alignment with Peaks Island schedules and increased instructional time.
The Portland Public Schools Policy Committee voted unanimously on Aug. 11 to forward a proposed schedule change for Cliff Island Elementary School to the full school board.
Dr. Angela Atkinson Dwina, identified in the meeting as the school district’s director of elementary schools, described the plan to shift Cliff Island’s day from 8:30 a.m.–3:15 p.m. (with an 11 a.m. Friday early release) to a new schedule that would start at 8:20 a.m., end at 3:05 p.m., and include a Wednesday early release at 12:20 p.m. "This would align the schedule with our Peaks Island schedule, and it would allow our teacher who is new this year to participate in our Wednesday PD," Dr. Atkinson Dwina said.
Board members asked how many students the change would affect. Dr. Atkinson Dwina said the school is expected to open this fall with two students and that historically one pupil sometimes leaves midyear. She said the family has been engaged and is supportive of the change. "We do know of two other young children who I believe are out on Cliff Island that we would expect to come to school sometime with us in the future," she added.
Vice Chair Mickey Bondo moved to send the calendar change request to the full board; Board member Ali Ali seconded. Chair Maya Lina called for hands and declared the motion unanimous. The committee noted that increased instructional minutes and better coordination with ferry and Peaks Island schedules were primary reasons for the adjustment.
The committee packet states the change is intended to both increase instructional time for Cliff Island students and reduce isolation for the teacher by aligning meeting and ferry schedules. The motion forwards the proposal to the full board for consideration at its regular meeting the following evening.
The full board will consider the schedule change next; the committee did not set an effective date beyond forwarding the request for the board’s vote.
