Yearlong Courses Mandate Repealed

After months of discussion about exploring ways to implement for freshmen and sophomores next year, the Winnacunnet School Board voted 4-0-1 Wednesday to change its direction and provide administrators with more time to work on the curriculum shift.

will no longer have to prepare itself for 2012-2013 school year changes that many have said would've reduced elective options, as the board's vote also accepted Principal Bill McGowan's plan to study the implementation over the next year with the hopes of bringing of some kind into the fold no earlier than the 2013-2014 school year.

McGowan, as well as , have frequently asked for this extra time. The board's about-face on Wednesday came after Superintendent Bob Sullivan made a recommendation that the board listen to McGowan's delayed plan and get "on the same page."

"What we should have been be doing when Bill presented the plan in May was not arguing that [the shift toward yearlong courses] was 'taking too long,'" said Sullivan, referring to several made by board members Maria Brown and Denyse Richter. "Bill made the plan to help the board. I'd go back to May when he presented it. It's a little tighter now, but I think we can get something going and present the study group in May.

"I cannot see us doing this correctly overnight."

Winnacunnet School Board member Henry Marsh made the initial motion to reconsider the September vote to implement the yearlong math and English courses for freshmen and sophomores next year, something that McGowan said Wednesday would've been "less than ideal."

Marsh said he called for the reconsideration, which passed 3-1-1, because he felt it wasn't the board's place to ignore McGowan's requests or his original plan, which outlines active research measures and a community-oriented study group to help make the transition to full-year core subjects successful.

"I think we've got to listen to the principal," said Marsh. "He made several recommendations. This board just mandated instead of getting information from Bill."

Marsh, Dick Goodman and Wayne Skoglund voted for repealing the 2012-2013 yearlong courses mandate, while Richter voted against the motion because she said she didn't think they "need[ed] to reconsider the vote."

Brown abstained from voting on the motion.

The subsequent vote to approve McGowan's plan — which was highlighted Wednesday in a special presentation, the information from which is captured in several pictures attached to this article — passed 4-0-1, with Brown also abstaining from that vote.

Brown said she abstained from both votes because she said she feels the issue has been lingering for years without action, and without "movement" of some kind to get changes in place for next year, she said she feels it will never happen.

"I don't believe sitting here tonight as a board member... that we'll move forward," she said. "If we do, I will take that back. I don't think that will happen.

"Until I see [movement], I won't agree with it."

SAU 21 Assistant Superintendent Barbara Hopkins was scheduled to present information Wednesday about with a consultant hired to help the district transition to yearlong courses.

Wednesday's meeting lasted roughly 4 1/2 hours, though, and board members said there was no need after several weighty discussions to get into the consultant's information because the district has "more time" now, according to Brown.

"I think we need to leave it in the hands of all of you for a little while and come back and see what you've got," said Brown, the school board chairwoman, to Hopkins. "We've done our job as a school board. It's your turn."

The staffing levels for next year won't change, according to Sullivan, because the course offerings will be no different than those in the current year.

McGowan said he will work diligently toward drafting a feasible proposal, and a presentation will come before the board in May about the study group's findings.

Sullivan said they will come in, at that time, with an explanation of "exactly how [the plan] will lay itself out," whether it be about adding a period to the current five-period schedule or something that hasn't yet been considered.

"We know we need to do things better," said McGowan. "We need change, but the question is, 'How do we do that?' We will be actively working to do things that will improve the school."