Parents are worried that changes to Blue Valley curriculum might cut elective class times.
"As a parent I'm looking at this and saying, this is a concern, because it's a drastic reduction of the arts they're going to have in middle school," parent Bob Stewart said.
He, and many other parents, saw a PowerPoint presentation from the Blue Valley board of education that outlined a preliminary plan for curriculum changes for district middle schools. It proposed moving electives into a 70-minute chunk per day. The preliminary proposal also suggested moving music from an everyday schedule to an A/B schedule.
Word quickly spread on social media that had parents worried the district might be moving too quickly without coming to them first.
"If it is happening and they're still in that particular mode, I think they have some explaining to do as to why they are moving the cart before the horse," Stewart said.
Superintendent for the Blue Valley School District Todd White said there have been no recommended changes to the curriculum. That PowerPoint, he says, is not final by any means, and they won't make a decision without talking to parents.
He also wants to reassure parents that the arts programs will not be nixed in any way.
District principals have already informed their teachers that a change might come for the 2018-2019 year, although White says the process is still in its first stages.
White says the goal is to increase students' elective choices, like adding robotics and coding to keep the district up-to-date and kids world-ready.
But, some challenges come with that.
"When you expand the time that students want and we need with them, when you expand the number of offerings we have, there are some constraints that are starting to collide. Currently in the proposed form we have, there's not enough opportunities for students to take courses," White said.
That will all be flushed out, White says. They hadn't intended to start that conversation with parents until next year, but because the topic is already out in the community, White says they are happy to start now.
Stewart created a Facebook page called "Save BV Arts" to loop in other parents and share thoughts and concerns. He plans to meet with White next week to get a better understanding.
The district posted three dates for public parent meetings:
Monday, May 1
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Blue Valley Service Center Academy Atrium
7500 W. 149th Terr., Overland Park, KS
Wednesday, May 3
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
CAPS Atrium
7501 W. 149th Terr., Overland Park, KS
Thursday, May 4
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
CAPS Atrium
7501 W. 149th Terr., Overland Park, KS
