School Schedule Change Proposals

03/10/10
updated

Over the next few years, the school board and the district are anticipating facing challenging conditions and difficult decisions. This has been evident for some time, and the district has been focused on strategic planning efforts to prepare for these conditions.

About a year ago, the Lake Oswego School Board addressed a message to the community that included the following:

“In the recent history of the Lake Oswego School District , inadequate resources at the state level have periodically challenged our ability to provide educational program for our students. Given the enormity of the economic downturn we are facing, we are concerned that previous difficulties will pale in comparison to the magnitude of the challenges that could be heading our way in the foreseeable future.”

School Board Plans for Uncertain Future, 1/29/09

These concerns are coming to pass. State revenue forecasts indicate that there will not be sufficient funds – not by a long shot – to meet the costs of our programs and services as they currently exist. The most recent budget forecasts project a $2 billion gap at the state level for 2011-13, with continuing shortfalls beyond. The district’s share of this gap is projected at approximately $6 million.

Oregonian news story on state budget projections, 2/17/10

The district has already enacted significant downsizing measures in response to the recession, including reductions in staffing, employee salary concessions, deferral of textbook purchases, and fee increases. A complete history of the district’s strategic planning and downsizing decisions is available online.

Strategic Planning for 2009-10 School Year

Strategic Planning for 2010-11 School Year

Additional changes will be needed, and our challenge will be to reshape the district in order to best protect the integrity of our core instruction and programs. We will have to work together to make the best choices from a range of alternatives we would likely not consider under better circumstances. We will have to do some things differently.

Process

The district proposed changes to the junior high schedule and the start/dismissal times for schools at all levels for 2010-11. Following are important distinctions regarding the process that is followed before the school board makes a decision that would have a significant impact on district programs and services:

• The district develops proposals and presents them for feedback and suggestions. 
• The district makes a recommendation to the school board when administrators determine a course of action that in their judgment best meets the needs of students given prevailing constraints and parameters.
• The school board is the final authority, and provides opportunities for public comment before making a decision on the administration’s recommendation.

Economic Context

• Due to the recession, budgeted state funding for the district for the current biennium (2009-11) required downsizing of programs and services. This budget includes Measures 66 and 67 revenue.

• Some of the downsizing measures enacted for the current school year cannot be repeated next year.
• The passage of Measures 66 and 67 did not improve the district’s funding position relative to the state budget for the current biennium. Voter approval of these measures means that the district will not lose additional state funding already budgeted for 2010-11. Our funding commitment from the state is the same as it was last spring.
• State projections for the next biennium (2011-13) indicate a shortfall of $2.6 billion. The district’s share of this shortfall is projected at $6 million. The state budget for the 2011-13 biennium will not be determined until spring/summer of 2011.

Downsizing, Teacher Staffing, and School Schedule Context

• The district is looking at all program and service areas for cost reductions. Additional recommendations for reductions in non-teacher staffing have not yet been announced.
• The district is projecting a reduction of 16 teaching positions heading into the 2010-11 school year: 6 at the high school level, 6 at the middle level, and 4 at the elementary level.
• The district’s challenge is to protect core curriculum and maximize instructional value within the constraints of reduced teaching staff.
• A key strategic planning objective is to position our schools to respond to conditions next year and in the next biennium by providing flexible schedules that can adapt to removal of program and also to adding program back as resources allow.

Junior High Schedule: Overview

The district proposed changes that would move the junior high schools to a 6 period schedule that is organized into an alternating-day block schedule, similar to the high schools. (Periods 1-3 would meet on A day, periods 4-6 would meet on B day.) Classes at the junior highs would move to semesters from trimesters, to be consistent with the high schools. The schedule would include a zero period for band and choir students.

• This would allow for the sharing of teaching staff across schools where feasible. For example, schedules could be organized so that a teacher could be at LOJHS for A day, and at LOHS for B day.
• The research on middle school instruction and philosophy recognizes block schedules as a best practice. Some of our middle level students are already scheduled in blocks for certain subjects.
• The district is expecting a decrease in enrollment at both junior highs next year, and an increase in enrollment at both high schools.
• The district is currently looking at a reduction of 2-3 teaching positions at each junior high school.

Additional and more specific information regarding proposed changes at the junior high level is provided in the detailed proposed schedules referenced below.

Key Conditions, Requirements and Context

• The roll-over block schedule  for the middle level has been developed to address the reduction of teaching staff noted above. A six period day will keep class sizes smaller, at the cost of an elective for most students. The alternating block schedule also provides system-wide advantages for the use of shared staff between junior highs and between junior highs and high schools.
• The district does not have the option of eliminating bus transportation, which is a state requirement. 70% of the district’s transportation costs are reimbursed by the state.
• Approximately 250 students are enrolled in the elementary music program.
• With our current high school eight period alternating block schedule, students may schedule a late start or early release on A Day or B Day or both, when compatible with their course selections. Following are the late arrival and early release numbers for the current school year:

Start Times/Dismissal Times at All Schools: Overview

None of our schools exists in isolation of others. Bus routes, for example, must be coordinated across all levels. In addition there are programs, activities, and considerations that will be relatively advantaged or disadvantaged by changing start and dismissal times. These include:

• After school athletics, for both secondary and youth sports
• Elementary band and strings programs, which meet before the elementary school day
• Community school enrichment programs
• Aligning start times with research regarding adolescent sleep patterns and behavior.

Schedule Options

• Proposed Schedule A was presented to staff and advisory committees. Feedback was not positive, primarily because of concerns regarding the structure of the junior high schedule, a high school start time that is 15 minutes earlier, and an elementary start time that is 10 minutes later.

• Proposed Schedule E was developed in response to feedback. It reflects additional adjustments to the junior high schedule, and an elementary start time that precedes the start time for secondary schools.

• Proposed Schedule H would change only the junior high schedule. The high school and elementary schedules would stay the same for the 2010-11 school year, until it is determined with greater certainty what additional changes will be needed for the 2011-13 biennium

• Proposed Schedule G explores the possibility of moving the elementary band and orchestra programs from before school to after school. It is not viable due to transportation constraints.

Next Steps

The Lake Oswego School Board held a work session and public hearing on Wednesday, March 3, at 7:00 p.m. to receive additional background information and data, and to continue reviewing options for school schedules. 

School principals collected opinion and feedback from teachers and staff regarding proposed school schedules.

In addition, patrons submitted written comments and feedback to communications director Nancy Duin, which was shared with the school board.

School Board Decision

The school board heard additional public testimony and considered administration recommendations regarding school schedules at its regular meeting on Monday, March 8.

The board had four viable options to consider:

1. No Change

• Make no changes for the 2010-11 school year (everything remains the same). 
• With the proposed staffing reductions under consideration for next year, the tradeoff for not changing the middle school schedule to a rollover block with a zero period would be a considerable increase in class sizes for core academics.
• Cost reduction:
  Reduce 16 teaching positions:    approx. $1.2M
• Cost increase:
  None

2. Schedule A

• This schedule provides before- and after-school timeframes that do not significantly impact the district’s elementary music program and after-school athletics and activities programs. 
• It does, however, require secondary schools to start earlier than current starting times and the elementary schools to start later than current starting times.
• Cost reduction:
  Reduce 16 teaching positions:    approx. $1.2M
• Cost increase:
  None

3. Schedule E

• This schedule allows the district to adjust starting times at both the secondary schools and the elementary schools in keeping with the research on sleep cycles and attentional focus timeframes for both secondary school students and elementary school students. 
• The challenges with this schedule are the impact of earlier and compressed timeframes for the elementary music program and the late end-of-the-day impact on athletics and activities facilities usage at the secondary schools.
• A change in the start and dismissal time for elementary students has an impact on before and after school child care arrangements families.
• Cost reduction:
  Reduce 16 teaching positions:    approx. $1.2M
• Cost increase:
  Transportation*: approx. $16K

4. Schedule H

• This schedule maintains current starting and ending times for both the elementary schools and the high schools and allows the district to move forward with the rollover block zero period schedule at the district’s middle schools. 
• Elementary music and secondary school athletics and activities timeframes would not change. However, the district would make no gains on adjusting schedules to take into consideration sleep and attentional focus issues that would be addressed with the Schedule E option.
• Cost reduction:
  Reduce 16 teaching positions:    approx. $1.2M
• Cost increase:
  Transportation*: approx. $16K

Considered Not Recommendable: Schedule G

• The district has also explored schedule options that would situate the elementary band and orchestra programs in the afternoon following the completion of the elementary school day. 
• Currently, elementary band students ride junior high buses in the morning, and strings and orchestra students are bused to Lake Grove.
• This option requires transporting elementary students to band and strings/orchestra programs on both the north and south side of the lake, possibly at Waluga/Bryant and at LOJ/LOHS.
• This is currently not viable due to bus capacity issues that would arise at the end of the secondary day for high schools, middle schools, elementary music students and special needs students.
• Moving the elementary music program to the end of the day also creates significant logistical and staffing challenges, including staffing for a second strings/orchestra program.
• We continue to work on this option but with the district’s current transportation fleet and the compressed timeframes at the end of the day, it remains an intractable problem.
• Cost reduction:
  Reduce 16 teaching positions:    approx. $1.2M
• Cost increases:
  Transportation*: aprrox. $127K
  Music staff:       approx. $51K

*Transportation costs reflect district’s 30% share of total transportation cost

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