Burrell school task forces work out schedule proposals for reconfiguration

Schedules at Burrell’s Bon Air Elementary and Charles A. Huston Middle schools are close to being finalized.

This week, the Bon Air and Huston task forces — groups of about 20 parents and staff providing feedback on schedules and plans for reconfigurations at the schools next year — continued to review the proposals drafted by administrators.

With Stewart Elementary closing next year, fourth grade classes will be held at Bon Air Elementary and fifth grade students will be sent to Huston Middle.

At Huston, the proposal has “specials” — classes such as physical education and art — for 40-minute periods, said Superintendent Shannon Wagner. Fifth grade students have a 15-minute “free play” time that would serve as a recess.

“They’re still fifth graders,” Wagner said. “We want them to feel like they’re not losing anything.”

Huston’s proposal also accounts for social studies and sciences classes every day for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students.

It condenses “enrichment remediation” time to one period a day — named “Buc Time” — instead of their current two periods. That would be similar to an activities period or a time where clubs could meet.

Wagner said the Huston task force suggested aligning Buc Time for sixth through eighth grades; or moving Buc Time for the older grades to the end of the day. She said the reasoning behind that was because those students participate in things like athletics and, during early dismissals, would miss remediation time instead of core instructional time.

At Bon Air, members reviewed a new proposed schedule from administrators that appeared to address most issues raised and prioritized from a prior meeting.

The latest proposal balances instructional minutes and adds in transition times for students from class to class. Teachers would have a 50-minute planning time before students enter the building for the day. Homeroom teachers would have a 50-minute planning time when their students are at specials.

The proposal has first and third grades at lunch together, kindergarten and second grades together, and fourth grade separately.

Wagner anticipates both task forces to finalize the school schedules next week.

They are scheduled to present their findings to the school board March 11.