LATE START STIRS CONTROVERSY

By Eric Munoz
The Monmouth-Roseville school board has approved a controversial amendment to the school calendar that calls for a one hour late start every Wednesday. The proposition, which passed by a vote of 4-2, was brought to the board by the Goals Committee. It will allow an hour each Wednesday for “teacher collaboration”. The calendar change will take effect for a trial period, which will be the 2012-2013 school year.

The proposal was discussed for nearly an hour during Tuesday’s monthly school board meeting. A few board members were firmly against the amendment citing that “too much instructional time would be lost.” They also argued that the late start would cause problems with the bus routes, as well as with parents having to pay a day care service for the first hour. The board discussed ways they could amend the proposal, but found an early out once a week would interfere with sports practice. In the end they decided the late start was the most practical.

A few teachers from the district voiced their opinions, one saying “sometimes I never see some of my fellow colleagues during the day.” One administrator said that while collaboration does happen in the schools, during lunch and prep periods, it is normally between the same departments.

Another highlight from Tuesday’s meeting was the approval of website agreement and hosting plan. Superintendent Paul Wohelke brought the board to notice how the Monmouth-Roseville website was lacking in many ways, mainly in accessibility. The board agreed the district’s site was “far behind other schools sites”.

The FFA Alumni Association gave the board a $3,000 donation to build the new Ag room and weight room. The board also announced an architect had been approached in order to begin planning for the construction of the Ag room and weight room.