JEFFERSONVILLE —
Several options for adopting a balanced calendar in Greater Clark County Schools for the 2012-2013 or 2013-2014 school year were presented to the board of trustees at their meeting Tuesday.
The possibilities were shown to the board just one day after New Albany-Floyd County schools adopted a plan to phase in a modified balanced calendar in two years. The GCCS board won’t come to a vote on the matter until February, with recommendations presented on Feb. 7.
The board showed interest in the options — which included outright adoption of a balanced calendar or a one-year transition period before adopting it — but also expressed their concerns.
The modified balanced calendar proposes nine-week sessions for students followed by two-week breaks. One of those weeks would be used for intersession — a weeklong period for students who are behind in their studies to catch up with their peers.
Nancy Kraft, board member, said she thought those periods of remediation would dramatically help academics in the district.
“I just think the intersession is important enough for us to go with this,” Kraft said. “I just feel like if we’re going to continue to concentrate on making the grade, we need that.”
Though the surveys shown by Amy Schellenberg, executive director of curriculum and instruction, show strong parent support and data display other advantages, the board expressed caution on moving in too quickly.
Kevin Satterly, board member, said though the surveys presented showed a lot of support, he thought the survey should be expanded. The survey showed the results of 1,998 parents out of a district with about 11,000 students.
Christina Gilkey, board president, said the implementation of a balanced calendar in the Lanesville Community School Corporation gained support from the community because of the town-hall styled sessions the district held for families. She said Greater Clark parents could benefit from similar sessions.
But some of the same difficulties in one district could also be problematic in Greater Clark. The board in NA-FC schools discussed the extra money needed to pay teachers during intersession and also the cost of transportation for that period, but Schellenberg said there are ways around that.
She said some districts have found ways to fund intersession through summer school money allotted to them and the teachers’ union contract with Greater Clark should fix any problems with the pay.
Mark Pavey, board member, asked Daeschner if he thought the difficulties would be too much for the district to handle.
“Let me tell you what happens in schools business — once a board makes a decision we seem to hammer it out,” Daeschner said. “Sometimes they aren’t easy, but we’ve pretty well given you all the variables you see. They’re not insurmountable in our opinion if the board went with balanced calendar.”
In other news at the meeting:
• The board reviewed an update on the 1:1 computer program at Charlestown High School and Charlestown Middle School. Schellenberg said graduation rates and the number of students applying to college have increased since the program began and dropout rates have gone down.
However, she said since this is the last year of the program’s trial, some serious questions about continuing it at the schools and spreading it to other schools in the district need to be answered. Schellenberg said with the district facing budget concerns and infrastructure that needs to be installed to support the program in other schools, equipment options for students and funding options for the district need to be resolved.
Ernie Gilbert, board member, said he thought the focus on the education with computers should focus on skills rather than hardware because of how quickly it becomes outdated.
Satterly said he’d like to see the program continue and expand.
• The board also discussed the possibility of making high school health courses — required by the state — online courses. Travis Haire, assistant superintendent, said opening up a class period would give students the opportunity to take other enrichment courses, but wouldn’t risk the jobs of any instructors at the high schools.
Clark County
Balanced calendar considered in Greater Clark
Board could vote in February
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Union suing to block state’s right-to-work law
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Ash Wednesday 2012
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Fundraiser builds a solid foundation: Individuals, businesses give generously to help out NA-FC schools
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Henryville High School Hornets’ Nest named finalist for state scholastic journalism award
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Two treated after apartment fire in Jeffersonville
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Report: 1si leader to resign
After attempting to reach Wassmer for comment, he responded via text message with “news release coming out in the morning.”
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Man killed in morning accident in Clark County
A Clark County man is dead after a fatal accident on his way to work Wednesday.
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Jeffersonville City Council, mayor closer to agreement on hires
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Clarksville hits snag with wastewater project
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Union suing to block state’s right-to-work law
