A plan to juggle almost $3 million to fund stronger academic core courses was approved by the San Mateo Union High School District Thursday night, cutting computer courses and some coaches but sparing librarians and counselors.
The money will be redistributed to fund more courses in math, English and social science in ninth and 10th grades, more support courses and core physical education classes.
A study committee of teachers, parents and administrators is expected to be formed to study Superintendent Sam Johnson's proposed seven-period day. Schools in the district may choose to implement it next school year though that appears unlikely.
The earliest a seven-period day would be implemented district-wide is 2006, Johnson said.
Parents, teachers and students again packed the school board meeting last night, many groaning as the board voted unanimously to redistribute the money.
Johnson said the tone and language of speakers at the board's last meeting, when opponents of the plan queued for more than four hours to take on the trustees, "was unwarranted to me as a human being and as a superintendent."
"Change is very difficult in a school system [in which] 85 percent of the school's budget goes to personnel," Johnson said.
He challenged the schools to rise from "good" to "great."
Student representative Eric Showen said Thursday night students opposed the cuts associated with the finance shuffling because full-time coaches will be replaced with part-time ones.
Showen, a three-sport athlete, said athletes typically spend more time with coaches than individual teachers, and added that freshmen especially would lose by increasing class sizes in core courses.
Teachers' Union President Craig Childress said the board's decision did not surprise him, and he thanked the trustees for belatedly inviting teachers to the table.
"We're very pleased with progress we made in the last week," he said.
Childress said he has yet to see evidence a seven-period day improves student achievement, and added that enlarging class sizes is almost sure to inhibit it.
Ed Larios, a coach and teacher, again asked in vain for the board to not cut coaches' "release periods" on the grounds that weakening physical education will lead to heavier students.
Stephen Baxter can be reached by e-mail at stephen@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.
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