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PCIA instructors and students urge Mill A School District board to reverse involuntary reassignments and rethink schedule
Summary
At the Mill A School District board meeting, PCIA instructors, parents and students urged the board to reconsider draft schedule changes and involuntary teacher reassignments, saying administrators did not consult staff and that forced middle-school teaching would harm PCIA’s enrollment and program quality.
PCIA instructors, students and parents used the board’s public-comment period to press trustees to reverse draft schedule changes and an administration proposal that could reassign high-school instructors to teach middle-school classes or face reductions in full-time employment.
A PCIA instructor told the board the district circulated a draft schedule and assignment changes by email without prior discussion with affected teachers and described what she called an untenable workload: “He has five PCIA preps … and in the draft schedule we are going to compel him to teach middle school four days a week as well,” the instructor said, arguing that forcing instructors to add middle-school classes would reduce the program’s rigor and risk enrollment declines.
Another PCIA instructor, who read a lengthy written statement to the board, said protected prep time under the collective bargaining agreement is essential at PCIA because staff routinely prepare multiple distinct courses at different levels. “Our CBA has the minimum amount of protected time for planning and grading,” the instructor said. “We were not asked by the administration about adding additional opportunities for our students.” The speaker said the administration had described noninstructional prep time as idle or wasteful; the instructor called that a mischaracterization and urged the board to consult teachers before making schedule or FTE decisions.
Students and a parent read written submissions that echoed the instructors’ concerns, citing a loss of traditions and communication problems, frustration with recent schedule changes, and worn student laptops that hinder classroom work. A packet of student feedback signed by 13 students listed specific concerns: inconsistent academic advising, limited college-level art offerings, classroom safety and equipment problems, and short class periods that complicate science labs.
Why it matters: PCIA is the district’s innovation academy program and board members heard repeated warnings that the program’s distinct offerings are the district’s primary recruitment tool for that campus. Multiple speakers urged that changing PCIA to resemble a conventional high school would undermine its ability to attract students and could deepen the enrollment challenges the board is trying to solve.
What the board said: Trustees thanked speakers and said they would return the feedback to administration for follow-up. Board members repeatedly asked for more detailed, staff-driven proposals and said the district would schedule opportunities for deeper collaboration before finalizing schedules and assignments.
Next steps: Several trustees suggested the board and staff add the topic to an upcoming workshop (the budget/workshop calendar was discussed for early June) so staff can present options, pro/con analysis and the operational impacts of schedule models before the board adopts a final 2026–27 staffing plan.
