PHS looks at eight-block format

PRINCETON — The Princeton High School Board continues to look at changing to an eight-block class format for the next school year.

Superintendent Kirk Haring said the school board discussed this week the eight-block option and is expected to make a decision at its Dec. 16 meeting. One parent spoke during the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting, saying she wanted to make sure her daughter and other students were able to get their needed courses if the board switched to the eight-block system.

A change from the current four-block format is needed to meet requirements of the federally-mandated Response To Intervention (RTI) program, Haring said.

As discussed at the October board meeting, PHS students can currently go up to 12 months without taking the core subjects of English and math under the four-block format. If a student needs intervention or additional help in either or both subjects, he/she may not have the actual core curriculum or class time instruction at the same time as the needed intervention. The four-block format was put into place about 10 years ago at PHS.

After research into scheduling options, the school’s RTI Committee has recommended the eight-block format to the school board, Haring said. A scheduling change is something the administration has considered for more than a year. PHS has to complete the RTI mandate by the 2010 school year.

In other business at Monday’s meeting, Haring said he did tell the board the school district has not received any mandated categorical payments from the state so far for this fiscal year. Those funds would cover things like special education and transportation. It could be several months before the district receives the money due it from the state, he said.

Haring said he also reported on the tentative tax levy for next year. Currently if everything comes through as far as increases in the district’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV), the district could have a lower tax rate by about two cents next year.

The district’s EAV has grown slightly every year since he’s been with the school, which is about four years, Haring said. As the EAV has grown, the district has been able to lower the tax rate.