Agua Fria board president requests discussion of block scheduling after public concerns

By Stacy Mantle
Mail

Agua Fria Union High School District governing board President Kristen Acton has requested a future work study session on block scheduling following questions from a community member about a possible change to high school class schedules.

During the district's Oct. 14 board meeting, Christine Walker questioned whether the district had sufficient evidence to support a move to an alternating block schedule and whether parents and teachers had been consulted.

"The number one thing I'm asking about is bell schedules again," Walker told the board. "And I understand that we're going to a block schedule next year."

Walker described a possible A/B schedule with shortened classes on Wednesdays, but district officials have not confirmed those details.

"My question is I want to know where the data is and the statistics that prove that this is beneficial for students," Walker said.

Block scheduling typically replaces shorter daily class periods with longer instructional periods, often allowing students to attend different classes on alternating days. Depending on how it is implemented, the change can affect instructional time, lesson planning and the number of classes students attend each day.

Walker questioned whether the district had considered research on student learning following the COVID-19 pandemic and whether families had opportunities to participate in the decision-making process.

"Has this been run by parents? Have you used a three-year plan for this? What is the outcome that you're seeking for on this?" she asked.

Walker also questioned whether district administrators had firsthand experience teaching longer class periods, referring to classes lasting 86 to 90 minutes.

She raised additional concerns about classroom resources, teacher workloads and the support available for students with individualized education programs and Section 504 accommodations.

Walker said she had raised questions at the previous month's meeting but had not received answers.

"I was here last month and I asked five questions of you all. I'm still waiting for answers on all of them," she said.

Later in the Oct. 14 meeting, during discussion of future agenda items, Acton requested several work study sessions, including one specifically addressing block scheduling.

"I'd like a work study on block schedule," Acton said.

She also requested discussions about campus security, ACT improvement plans and student intervention data.

In response to questions following the meeting, the district said it was not commenting on block scheduling at this time but confirmed Acton's request for a future work study session.

The district did not provide a date for the discussion or confirm whether a new scheduling model has been approved for the 2027-28 school year.

No vote on block scheduling was listed on the Oct. 14 meeting agenda and the board took no action on the issue during the meeting.

Editor’s note:   A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

Meet Stacy
Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.

Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!

Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.

Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.