‘Now is the time to move forward’

Board votes ‘no’ on four-day school week

Crystal R. Albers
Posted 2/15/19

The district will not move to a four-day week for the 2019-20 school year.

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‘Now is the time to move forward’

Board votes ‘no’ on four-day school week

Posted

GOSHEN COUNTY – The district will not move to a four-day week for the 2019-20 school year. The proposal failed on a 7-to-2 vote Tuesday evening at the regular Goshen County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees’ meeting.

Trustees Zach Miller and Kerry Bullington voted in favor of the change, all other trustees voted against.

Each board member made a statement explaining his or her vote. As part of his reasoning, Carlos Saucedo said: “Change this drastic should be made based on compelling data evidence showing convincing gains and academic performance and developmental capabilities. It seems, at best, this change would keep us at status quo, and the benefits do not outweigh the consequences.”

Jeff McClun said his biggest concerns include a drop in student achievement with fewer days in school; parents needing to find daycare or staying home from work to provide care; a longer school day and later practices; difficulty or impossibility of juniors or seniors to take college courses; loss of hours and wages for bus drivers and cooks; and possibilities of an increase in illegal and reckless behavior with an extra day off, among others. He encouraged the calendar committee to blend the approved five-day calendar and the proposed four-day calendar to create a hybrid schedule and move collegial days to Friday. McClun added he was disappointed the committee did not offer a better solution.

Christine Miller stated while she, personally, would love the four-day school week as it would fit her family’s lifestyle, research is inconclusive regarding student achievement – which she called her main motivator. Miller added considering the four-day for attendance centers separately is something that may change her mind.

“I do struggle with the stated reason for the change,” she said. “I can’t necessarily support the logic to change the entire school calendar … for collegial work … I’m not sure we’ve exhausted all other tactics to solve the issues there.”

Bullington began, in part, by acknowledging the importance of the collegial work and professional development, adding “missing 500-plus hours (of class time for such meetings) is a significant number for me, and I think children’s instruction is being hurt by that.”

She explained a goal of the committee was to ensure staff did not lose benefits due to the change, and said she’d be the first to volunteer for a committee dedicated to working out issues. Bullington concluded by saying, “I do want to thank the (four-day calendar) committee for spending two years on it … what it comes down to for me is, what they’re doing right now obviously is not working … they’ve at least come up with something we could try – we’re not tied into it.”

Mark Jespersen also thanked the committee for their work and said while he does believe the four-day calendar allows for better academic achievement, the board has an obligation to students outside of the classroom, “and I think what we would find in our community, is those kids who aren’t there on Friday are going to get left behind, and we’re relying on the community to … pick up the slack on Fridays, and in some cases I don’t believe that would be accomplished.”

Zach Miller stated he’s experienced a lot of conflict regarding the situation. His extensive research did reveal studies that supported an increase in academic performance with a four-day school week, and students of lower socioeconomic status benefiting most – academically – from the change.

“I think we have failed, as a board and as central administration, to have this four-day committee group work on this for two years without giving them a clear ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. I don’t think it’s the best use of their time, nor the district’s funds … to have them going down a path that we may not choose. I think we need to be better at giving clear direction on which way to go, and we need to be holding administrative central office accountable,” adding if collegial work is critical, the same end goal (teachers spending more time in the classrooms) must be achieved utilizing technology or otherwise (suggestions at four-day public hearings included using Skype or similar technology, instead of traveling to meet).

Rod Wagner stated he hoped the issue wouldn’t be divisive in the community.

 “The problem is that we have is we’ve thrown God out of the school system, so we’re going to be at conflict,” he said. “And I really think, and I hope, those who are disappointed tonight won’t go home grumbling and bad-mouthing those others who are happy.

“(The board) is doing the best we can … I, like Zach, think that there’s a better way our collegial groups could be worked out to benefit better.”

Ryan Clayton agreed he believed there is a different solution. When he first joined the school board a year ago, he said he was “wholeheartedly” for the four-day school week, having come from a district with a similar schedule in place and seeing positive results at the high-school level.

However, along with students being in school too long, “our communities are very different throughout the district,” he said. “I know many students feel safest, they’re fed, they’re warm, when they are at school. So, taking a day a week out of some kid’s life where they no longer feel as safe as they normally do is a really tough sell for me.”

To round out remarks, Chair Katherine Patrick stated the following: “Parents with resources will be able to celebrate and enjoy a four-day week. Families who do not have resources will experience this as a great burden.”

At the end of the meeting, interim Superintendent Dr. Rick Patterson gave a report detailing his experience over the eight days prior, and made these comments on the four-day school week:

“I attended both public hearings on the four-day school calendar. I appreciate the work the committee and the board has done on that. Now is the time to move forward.”

The next regular board meeting is Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Central Administration Building.