The state school board voted Monday night to eliminate the so-called “5 of 8” rule that sets the minimum number of school nurses, librarians, counselors and arts teachers that school districts must have.
It will now be up to each local school board how many of those positions they want to have at their schools – a change that supporters say will give districts the local control they need, and which critics say all but dooms these positions to be axed when budgets are tight.
With an 11-7 vote, the Republican majority of the board passed the change that has been the subject of intense debate since the fall.
Board members also rejected a push from Democrats on the board, including three who just joined the board this year, to keep the rule with only a minor change.
And they rejected another request from Democrats to delay the “5 of 8” change for more review, and to just pass 14 other less-controversial rule changes today instead.
Board member Ron Rudduck, who chaired the committee that reviewed the rule change most of last year, said there has been ample time to debate it. And he said that members could work to adjust the rule in the future even if the change passes.
“I just think it’s time for a vote,” said Rudduck, a Republican from Wilmington. “It’s time for an up or down vote on the entire package.”
Board member C. Todd Jones, a Republican from New Albany, also disagreed with any delays and called for a vote.
“We’ve gone around and around on this topic a very long time,” Jones said.
He agreed with the Democrats that residents deserve discussions, but he said they also deserve finality.
The longstanding “5 of 8” rule requires districts to have people filling at least five of these eight jobs for every 1,000 students: elementary art, music or physical education teachers, school counselors, library media specialists, school nurses, social workers and “visiting teachers.”
The proposal to eliminate that rule so that local boards can have flexibility to best serve their students caused a major debate last year, both at board discussion in November and again in December when the board voted to axe the rule.
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