School District Pulls Parent Survey on Proposed Music Bump

The Wall school district on Wednesday took down a survey it had posted on its website the previous day soliciting comment from parents of students enrolled in music instruction at the regarding proposed changes for next school year.

Without formally announcing that it was considering major changes to the structure of the Intermediate School day for all students, the district posted the survey late Tuesday.

In less than 24 hours the survey was removed from the website and replaced with a graphic informing parents that a new one "will be available shortly" for anyone with children in grades pre-K to 12. 

Interim Superintendent Stephanie Bilenker did not return a call requesting comment about the survey Wednesday.

One of the three questions included in the original survey — obtained by Wall Patch — asks if parents would be more open to a before-school hours music session, or an after-school hours session. There is no third option.

The survey — a copy of which is attached to this story — was open to parents of fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade students only. It is preceded by a statement that the school "will be modifying its current schedule for the 2012-2013 school year,'' in order to beef up academics.

The district has not previously made a formal announcement of its proposed schedule changes that would affect the school’s 1,100 pupils.

The survey followed a report, , that the district is considering for next year bumping music instruction from the regular school day in favor of doubling the time Intermediate School students spend learning math and language arts.

The school is on a state watch list because of repeated low standardized test scores in those subject areas, and , according to Bilenker.

The proposal, however, . The district is proposing  a before-school session only for music students — something referred to as “zero period’’ — or an after-school session, or “10^th period’’ to continue music instruction.

Bilenker on Tuesday said no decision has been made on how music instruction would continue at the Intermediate School for the 2012-13 school year.

“Nothing has been firmed up,’’ Bilenker has said.

But late Tuesday, a solicitation appeared on the district’s website asking a select group parents to take a survey on the future of music instruction at the Intermediate School.

No information was immediately available on how long the survey would be available or when or if the results would be made public.