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Coquille Valley Elementary principal proposes shifting 5th–6th grade schedule to increase subject time and meet Division 22
Summary
Principal Alana Ruiz proposed moving 5th and 6th graders to a schedule with longer subject blocks to meet Division 22 requirements (including 150 minutes/week of PE), arguing the change will deepen subject instruction but acknowledging staffing, licensure and intervention scheduling tradeoffs.
Alana Ruiz, principal of Coquille Valley Elementary, presented a proposal to change the 5th–6th grade model so students receive longer subject blocks and the district can meet Division 22 instructional requirements. Ruiz said the shift would prioritize “a well‑rounded education” and called out PE: “Having 150 minutes of PE a week is another thing that teachers have to prepare for,” and the proposed schedule keeps elementary recess and daily basic supports in place.
Ruiz told the board the model is intended to increase content‑specific instructional time for science, social studies and elective exposure while reducing per‑teacher preparation load by creating multi‑teacher teams and providing more adults for student connection. She acknowledged the change could reduce some single‑subject intervention time and said services for students with IEPs would be scheduled on a case‑by‑case basis: “In our IEPs, students have 120 minutes for the ELA or 20 minutes for math…we will schedule specially designed instruction within the day.”
Board members pressed on whether the change would force some students to choose between intervention and electives; Ruiz and district staff said reading and math intervention would continue but may be scheduled during an elective or designated intervention block. The principal referenced other Oregon schools that experimented with similar models but emphasized local staff quality and licensure as the primary determinants of success.
Opponents in public comment raised concerns about developmental appropriateness for 5th graders, family schedule disruption from later start/end times, and a perceived lack of community engagement during planning. The district said mediation and further conversations with staff are ongoing and that implementation decisions would be refined before any formal adoption.
