School Board approves 2016-17 schedule

After postponing the decision at its last meeting, the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board voted to eliminate two “teacher in-service” days and extend the 2016-17 winter break but not change the starting date from Aug. 8, 2016.

During their last meeting on Jan. 27, the board reconsidered next year’s starting date after teachers voiced their concerns regarding the school breaking away from synchronized schedules with surrounding districts. However, after gathering data for two weeks, the board unanimously voted to uphold next year’s starting date.

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“No matter what we do we aren’t going to make everybody happy with this decision,” MUSD Governing Board President Patti Coutre said. “We have to do what is best for our students and for our district.”

Board member Torri Anderson, who felt it was too late in the process to change the starting date, echoed Coutre’s sentiment.

“It’s not up to us to figure out if the district changes their calendar,” Anderson said. “No [other districts] asked us [when they changed their calendars].”

The board also heard a presentation from Maricopa High School regarding their expanded dual-enrollment offerings and academic progress.

The high school has been successful in implementing their blended learning program into freshman and sophomore classes this school year. MHS also has plans to expand their foreign language curriculum by offering Spanish III and German I and II, and add additional English and math classes to the dual-enrollment offerings for the 2016-17 school year.

“I want to compliment you guys on how wonderful you have done with communication,” Coutre said. “As I’ve stated before, if you have a student at the high school and you don’t know what’s going on, you’re living under a rock.”

The MUSD Governing Board will reconvene on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m.

MUSD School Board meeting 2-11-16

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