Dodge City will form a task force to review high-school block schedule; teachers to be included

District staff and teacher representatives agreed to form a task force to study the high-school block schedule, with the intention of protecting hands-on programs that require longer class periods.

Participants said the committee should include high-school administrators, district-level staff and teachers from vocational and lab-based programs so that shorter class periods do not compromise CTE, science labs, food-service instruction and similar classes that require setup and teardown time.

Members discussed making the group a standing committee that meets periodically — with an initial review scheduled for the 2026–27 school year and the ability to reconvene for tweaks — rather than a one-off study. That approach, they said, would provide iterative touch points to evaluate impacts on staffing, collaboration time and program integrity.

A negotiating-team representative emphasized the need to preserve longer blocks for programs that require extended hands-on instruction while exploring schedule options such as modified blocks or changes to period lengths. Staff will propose membership numbers and a charge for the committee and return with recommended language to be considered in negotiations.