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Parents, teachers urge Coquille SD 8 board to pause proposed 5th‑grade schedule change
Summary
Dozens of parents, a teacher union leader and other community members told the Coquille School District 8 board they oppose a plan to move fifth grade from self‑contained classrooms to a junior‑high style rotating schedule, citing lack of stakeholder input and particular harms for students with special needs.
Dozens of parents and staff urged the Coquille School District 8 board to delay any change to fifth‑grade scheduling at Coquille Valley Elementary. Heather Balmer, a parent and substitute teacher, told the board the proposal would “take away our childhood” and said parents had not been given timely information or opportunities for input.
Balmer told the board: “Give them some grace, let them be 5th graders.” Several other parents raised similar concerns about transitions for students, program costs and the mechanics of implementation (lockers, curriculum work and staffing). Casey McGillivray asked the district to hold meetings after work hours and suggested surveying students and parents before any decision.
Teachers also opposed the concept. Tyler Lineman, an 8th‑grade teacher and president of the Coquille Education Association, said the teacher group does not support a shift to a single‑subject model for 5th grade without fuller stakeholder engagement. Lineman cited state test improvements for the current cohort — “the current 6th grade class has improved its proficiency… by more than 25% [in ELA] and by 12% in math” — and warned that junior‑high scheduling can increase stress and complexity for younger students.
District leaders said plans are not finalized. Superintendent Gallagher told the board that staff (including Mr. Ruiz and building teachers) are still developing options and that a formal presentation is expected at the May board meeting; he said parents had not yet been part of the planning process but that more information will be provided as plans are refined.
