CV Schedule Change Could Harm Music Program, Consultant Says

A group of Central Valley School District parents decided to explore the issue of four-period days the old-fashioned way.

They found a hired gun.

About 125 people came to Central Valley High School Saturday. John Benham, a school district dispute negotiator, discussed the proposal to change the class schedule in the district’s two high schools from six periods per day to four. Benham, also a professor of music at Minnesota’s Crown College, spoke after two days of reviewing Central Valley’s music programs.

Although Benham didn’t take sides, he said the district’s music program is in a “very, very vulnerable position, and any negative change could collapse it.”

A committee of teachers and officials wants to change the schedule to gain teaching time. The year would be divided into trimesters instead of two semesters. Benham was brought in by a parents’ group, Citizens for Better Education, which formed to oppose the four-period day.

The district is holding community meetings to explain the four-period day and gather questions and comments from parents. No decision on the program is expected until June.

Paul Sturm, principal of Central Valley High School, said the change would be good. The total hours students spend in a given class will be the same, just in longer intervals.

“Kids will be less anonymous,” Sturm said. About 87 percent of the district’s high school teachers favor the plan, he said.

Benham, though, said the district’s music program is in a precarious position because children are already quitting as they get older. Tampering with schedules could make that worse. Benham said about 1,500 students take music classes, but a district of Central Valley’s size could support a program of about 4,000 students.

Benham said music is important because 80 to 90 percent of the brain has to do with motor skills. Studying music engages more of the brain, and teaches spatial reasoning skills helpful in math.

He said longer classes also can tax attention spans.

Some parents are worried about what will happen to students enrolled in music, foreign language, advanced placement and math programs.

“It seems like a drastic change,” said Lisa Hone, who attended the meeting with her husband, John. The Hones have five children, and one will be starting high school in the fall. Lisa fears that having fewer subjects per day will mean children won’t remember complex math or other subjects if they don’t take those courses for a trimester.

“I think they need it all, all the time,” she said.

Eugene Jablonsky, orchestra director at both CV and U-Hi, said studies he’s seen on such plans show music often gets hurt. “I don’t want to see our music programs fall by the wayside,” he said.

Benham told parents the district was trying to cooperate with them, including offering use of the high school’s multi-purpose room for Saturday’s meeting.

Music programs aren’t being targeted for cuts, he said. But no solution has been proposed to ensure their success despite the schedule change.

When to bring such proposals before the public is always a trick for administrators, Benham said. “It’s always a tightrope. (Administrators think,) ‘How much am I supposed to do for the public, and how much should they be involved?’ Clearly, the public wanted to be involved earlier this time.”

Sturm said even if approved by the Central Valley School Board in June, the four-period schedule wouldn’t start up until fall 1997.

He said he thinks the district will either approve the change or send it back for fine-tuning.

All this discussion is exactly what district officials say they expected to take place. Except for questions about music programs, most of the issues raised have answers, said Mike Pearson, director of high school education.

Nor are officials surprised that the critics are more vocal than supporters, so far. Supporters will make themselves heard later, one board member predicted.

“When the issue is actually on the agenda (for a school board vote), then I would expect those people to call,” Gary Hann said.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE The next opportunity for people to learn about and comment on the proposed four-period school day will be April 10. Meetings will start at 7 p.m. at Evergreen and Horizon junior high schools. On April 15, a 7 p.m. meeting will take place for CV Band Boosters. The final set of community meetings will be at 7 p.m., May 8, at Bowdish and Greenacres junior highs. Board members also plan to hold a forum for discussion on the proposal, after all the community meetings.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Ward Sanderson Staff writer Staff writer Marny Lombard contributed to this report.