The Board of Education has not had any discussions about eliminating the music component of the PACE program at Mamaroneck High School and/or the PACE program.  This school year however, there was a reduction in the number of PACE Music classes, ​which are only being offered for PACE 2 and PACE 4 students due to significantly lower enrollment. As one of many high school elective courses/programs, annual enrollment in the PACE Program fluctuates based on student interest. There has been no conversation to eliminate  PACE 1 and 3 Music or the PACE program moving forward. Additionally, the reduction of two PACE Music classes this year was not included in the permanent cuts outlined in the November 17th Board meeting.  

For those interested in learning more about the program, in November, 2018 the administration conducted an extensive program review of PACE reaffirming its importance to students and the District. The program review can be found here.

 

We encourage all community members to stay involved in discussion around electives at Mamaroneck High School and invite you to tune in to the Dec. 1, 2020, BOE meeting, where Dr. Shaps,  MHS  Principal Elizabeth Clain and Assistant Principal Mario Washington will provide an overview of the MHS elective program, including current elective offerings, the selection/assignment process, the number of students participating in one or more electives and budgetary impact. 

The Board publicly reviews expenditures and staffing levels each year during the budget development process.  In the coming months as the 2020-2021 budget development process ensues, there will be a number of Board meetings devoted to addressing recommended expenditures.

 

The District Equity Team’s (DET) recommendations are not intended to supplant either the work of the District’s Enrollment Task Force (Task Force) or the public process that will be followed by the Board of Education in examining, recommending, and/or authorizing a shift from the neighborhood school elementary model to a new configuration of grade level learning. We are fully committed to furthering the work of the Task Force and the DET, and recognize that to fully engage all of our stakeholders in meaningful and productive conversations while families are addressing the many issues brought about by the pandemic may be challenging. We commit to being thoughtful in the timing of this process and to be clear in our communications regarding this work.

The draft goal and timeline developed by the DET is an expression of its belief in the urgency of the work to achieve equitable opportunities to learn and is consistent with the mission statement of this newly-formed District Team. The DET will continue to examine the issue of elementary configuration and assignment through the lens of equity while the Board of Education will continue to consider multiple analytic  frameworks, as set forth in the May 2019 Task Force report, including:

● Durability (the extent to which the model can withstand enrollment increases and/or decreases)

● Financial Impact (the extent to which the model obligates financial resources)

● Educational Impact (the extent to which the model results in positive or negative educational outcomes - e.g. curriculum consistency, enriching programs, professional specialization)

● Equity of Opportunity for All (the extent to which the model results in classes balanced by socioeconomic status (“SES”) and % of English Language Learners and students with disabilities)

● Class Size (the extent to which the model results in class sizes near the District guidelines)

● Overall Value (looking at all evaluation criteria holistically, what is the value proposition of the long-term strategy?)

We view the DET’s recommendation as one piece in a very complex puzzle. There is still much work to be done, and the administration and the Board are firmly committed to a complete and transparent public process.