JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools said declining enrollment means less state funding, which is resulting in resource teachers spending less time with their students at Joseph Finegan Elementary School in Mayport.
The school posted to its Facebook page Monday, announcing that physical education, art and music teachers would teach their classes every other week.
The Facebook post reads:
<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase="" data-grammar-rule="EN_UNPAIRED_BRACKETS" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>Students had their resources last week (Week A) with our resource teachers. Students will not have resource with the resource teachers this week (Week B<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase=" )" data-grammar-rule="COMMA_PARENTHESIS_WHITESPACE" data-wsc-lang="en_US"> )</span> but are provided the time to do other art, music, and PE learning experiences during their regular resource time. Resource teachers will return next week. We will be on this A week/ B week rotation until further notice. I will continue to keep everyone informed.<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase="" data-grammar-rule="EN_UNPAIRED_BRACKETS" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>
Parents say Finegan Elementary is largely made up of military families who may find themselves moving often.
"These kids live such, kind of, I guess, transient lives anyway, where they're moving every three years," said a mother who asked not to be identified.
The mother, who spoke to Action News Jax reporter Ryan Nelson, said she doesn't like the new schedule.
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"You're asking the teachers to not only teach reading and writing, but also, now gym," she said.
DCPS released the following statement:
<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase="" data-grammar-rule="EN_UNPAIRED_BRACKETS" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>Finegan students should not experience a change in their time allotted for art, music and P.E.
<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase='"' data-grammar-rule="EN_QUOTES" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>All elementary school students are required to receive the following: <br/> • 50 minutes a week in art (or 100 minutes every other week)<br/> • 50 minutes a week in music (or 100 minutes every other week)<br/> • 150 minutes a week in P.E.
<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase='"' data-grammar-rule="EN_QUOTES" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>State funding is based on enrollment, and the enrollment at Finegan may not support having full-time arts, music and PE teachers at that school.
<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase='"' data-grammar-rule="EN_QUOTES" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>As it is with many of the smaller schools across the district, these resource teachers will split their time between two schools. This ensures equity for all students and good stewardship of tax dollars.
<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase='"' data-grammar-rule="EN_QUOTES" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>School and district leadership will work closely to determine the best schedule that will enable students to receive their required amount of resource time.<span class="wsc-grammar-problem" data-grammar-phrase="" data-grammar-rule="EN_UNPAIRED_BRACKETS" data-wsc-lang="en_US">"</span>
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