In other places, however, tight school schedules and lean budgets have led to more modest changes.
The predator who encounters and sees the whole school is also deceived by the resemblance of the tight school to a larger organism.
Ms. Dunn cited lack of money and tight school schedules as constraints, but Ms. Moskowitz charged that education officials had made empty promises.
Even facing tight school budgets and time constraints caused by increased testing, 116 of the 125 districts on the Island this year will schedule arts activities during school hours that go beyond required visual- and performing-arts classes.
They joined Hermione Norris, Meera Syal, Robert Lindsay and Tim Pigott-Smith in signing a letter to the Sunday Times warning of a "real concern" that the change, coupled with tight school budgets, could see teachers stop organising theatre trips.
After years in which tight school budgets and a battery of federal and state testing mandates have narrowed curriculums nationwide to emphasize basic reading, math and science, Pelham and a handful of other high-performing school districts have begun to expand their course catalogs with electives.
Money can also be an issue, since snack foods sales are often profit centers for schools, sports teams and other groups, especially given the current tight school budgets.
But as principals and PTAs began to recognize the potential payoff of vending revenue during a time of increasingly tight school budgets, the number grew quickly".
"The kinds of materials used in new air-tight school buildings -- the glues, the adhesives, paints and wall-to-wall carpets -- are posing problems in schools and other buildings throughout the country," Mr. Benassi said.
Still, experts have been warning for months that the administration's timetable was too tight, forcing schools and districts to create last-minute plans.
