More art, music, P.E. classes approved by school board
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Jackson County elementary school students will have the opportunity to expand their artistic and musical abilities, and their physical activity next school year.
The Jackson County Board of Education approved a budget plan on Monday that will increase classroom instruction of art, music and physical education (P.E.), starting next school year.
Kindergarten students will potentially benefit the most from the move — art, music and P.E. haven’t been offered to those students for an estimated eight years. Recess, however, has been available to kindergartners.
The changes will allow kindergartners to have 30 minutes of art and P.E. each, and 40 minutes of music a week.
The move will also allow first through fifth grade students in all elementary schools to have equitable access to art, music and P.E.
“It is critically important that the students have access to these areas,” said April Howard, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning.
Principals from Jackson County’s seven elementary schools asked the board to approve a plan that would include hiring six new teachers to provide additional art, music and P.E. instruction. The plan also includes Gum Springs Elementary School, which will open next school year in West Jackson.
The plan calls for the six new teachers to share teaching duties among the elementary schools. It’s a tight schedule that will require some of the teachers to teach at more than one school a day.
“This is very conservative,” Jane Scales, principal of Maysville Elementary School, told the board of the initial plan.
Adding art, music and P.E. classes to Jackson County elementary schools may cost an estimated $300,000 to $350,000 a year, according to BOE chairperson Kathy Wilbanks.
“I really think the community wants kids exposed to that — art, music and P.E.,” Wilbanks said.
Sarah Greene, director of personnel for the county school system, asked the board to move forward with the proposal now to begin hiring the best-qualified teachers. Other area school systems have begun hiring new teachers for next school year, she added.
“If we don’t look at this minimal plan, we’ll lose out,” Greene said on Thursday.
