- April 25, 2024
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Next school year, Volusia County Schools will end a program allowing for up to an hour of extra instructional time at five Title 1 schools, citing a desire to allow those schools to use the federal funds on other needs.
It's a decision teachers' union Volusia United Educators opposed both in a press release and at the School Board meeting on Tuesday, April 25. VUE president Elizabeth Albert said the Plus One program — currently in place at Starke Elementary, West Side Elementary, Palm Terrace Elementary, Holly Hill Shool and Turie. T. Small Elementary — provides 95 more hours of academic learning a year at each school. The program provides 30 minutes of learning time for students daily, and an additional 30 minutes of planning time for instructional staff.
"The reduction of academic classroom learning time by this amount is more than concerning to me and the teachers and staff members I serve," Albert said. "It has been shared with me that the data does not support the continuance of the program. However, what reasonable expectation is there that improvements, or just the maintenance of the current level of learning, will occur with less classroom learning time?"
The district is proposing to replace the Plus One program with tutoring, but Albert argued that not all students will be able to benefit from this. Title 1 schools receive federal financial assistance due to the number of children coming from low-income families.
"If our focus is on remediating learning loss and filling the gaps that have been created by almost three years of interrupted learning due to COVID, then please allow additional time to remain in place," Albert said. "We cannot say that every minute counts if we are willing to take so much of it away."
According to VUE, the Plus One program costs about $2 million. It started as a pilot program in Volusia County in 2003 at Woodward Elementary for single gender classes, which no longer exist.
When asked for clarification on the program by Volusia County School Board member Ruben Colon, Deputy Superintendent Rachel Hazel said that the state withdrew funding for Plus One programs two years ago, but that VCS opted to continue the program with its highest poverty ranked schools.
The district isn't cutting the program to save money, Hazel said.
"The money is Title 1 money," she said. "So that money goes back to the schools, back into the Title 1 budget which must be used to support students."
District staff also explained to the board that VCS is using federal dollars for before and after school tutoring, as well as transportation for tutoring and summer programs. Tutoring would result in 45 minutes of learning time, with a 15 minute planning period.
Superintendent Carmen Balgobin added that it plans to use federal coronavirus relief dollars for academic tutoring and clubs, as well as collaborative planning.
"We're looking at $1.6 million that will be assigned to those schools specifically for either collaborative planning or additional instructional minutes with students, whether it's remediation or acceleration, or schools can choose to do both," Balgobin said.
This is an operational decision that is made each year, School Board Chair Jamie Haynes said — not a decision of the board. Since the district has been choosing the top five highest poverty ranked schools, some of the current schools on the list, based on current data, would be dropping the program regardless, she said. This will give schools a more flexible use of Title 1 funds.
"A couple years ago, the whole plan changed and it was no longer an hour's worth of instruction during the day that was systematic and pinpointed," Haynes said. "... And so I think we just have to look at all of it."
School Board member Carl Persis said there's mixed evidence on keeping elementary aged children in schools longer, and that he'd rather see teachers at Title 1 schools be paid more.
"I think they should just be paid more for the same hours of any other school," Persis said.
VCS has 47 Title 1 schools for the 2022-2023 school year.
VUE's press release states the district's decision to stop the Plus One program was "ill conceived and short-sighted."
"The consequences of this action will lead to disruption and uncertainty for our education professionals, students, families and communities," Alberts said in the release. "It is no secret that VCS has struggled to retain teachers and staff. The decision to end Plus One will cause many to once again wonder if VCS is where they want to be."
