Sean C. Morgan
Over the next month, District 55 School Board members will consider the idea of returning to a five-day school week and then likely render a decision at its Feb. 12 meeting.
The board discussed the school week during its regular meeting Monday evening. This is the third year the district has had a four-day school week.
Business Manager Kevin Strong said that returning to a five-day school week, a 173-day schedule, would cost about $389,560.
Moving to a 160-day hybrid of the four- and five-day school week would cost about $247,280, which includes the cost of adding two elementary school specialists to provide necessary teacher preparation time, based on a contract requirement of 200 minutes per week.
District staff originally estimated about $400,000 in savings by switching to a four-day school week. The board approved the four-day week in 2012 to save money.
If the district were to move to a five-day schedule, it would see an increase in $20,000 in utilities; $60,000 in substitutes; $47,400 in transportation; $29,792 in secretary time; $20,160 for media assistants; $5,000 in district office expenses; $52,208 for assistants; $15,000 for maintenance and courier trips; $40,000 for custodial time; and $20,000 in other funds. The two elementary specialists would take classes for music or other programs to allow teachers professional development time and would cost $140,000.
“From my standpoint, student learning probably is the biggest thing that needs to be considered and deciding whether this has harmed kids, helped kids, or stayed neutral,” said Supt. Keith Winslow.
The board also needs to consider whether it will be a savings or cost the district, Winslow said. Another topic is the effect on classified staff.
Professional development would be a key consideration as well, Winslow said, especially with the new testing coming out this year. The district also has to make sure teachers have enough prep time based on requirements in its contract with teachers.
One concern moving to a four-day week was that the number of calls for police would increase on Fridays, Winslow said. He said Police Department officials told him last week that the number of calls hasn’t risen appreciably since the four-day week began.
Child care is another issue, he said. “Of course, we’ve all enjoyed having a consistent calendar. That was a neat thing.”
As far as student learning goes, Winslow said, he has looked at the data and, in 13 different groups of students and subjects, nine showed gains, ranging from 1.6 percent to 14.3 percent, in test scores. Four showed declines.
“I wouldn’t say the four-day week hurt kids, academically at least,” Winslow said.
Larry Horton, Holley principal and retired superintendent, said he looked at a similar situation in Reedsport where he served as an interim superintendent. There, the data showed a neutral effect or improvement in academic performance.
“The instructional minutes are virtually the same or in some cases, are a little more,” Horton said.
“And teachers have more professional development now,” noted Leena Ellis, board member.
The district didn’t have as much professional development previously, said Chanz Keeney, board member. Going back to a five-day week and maintaining the professional development would come with an additional cost.
The whole point in reopening discussions about the four-day week was to see if test scores were going down, but they aren’t going down, Ellis said, questioning why the board needs to look any further. Sweet Home hasn’t had any issues with school out on Fridays, and teachers are getting better.
Keeney said he would like to go back to a five-day week and a shorter school day, but he also agreed with Ellis. He has always liked the five-day week. He pointed out that professional sports teams don’t just practice three or four days a week. They practice five, but then, the students have opportunities to meet with their teachers on Fridays too.
Jason Van Eck, board member, asked whether students who struggle might struggle more in a four-day schedule.
“The kids who are going to do well are going to do well whether it’s four days or five days,” Van Eck said. “How do you think this affects struggling kids?”
“I think some of both,” Winslow said. “I think there are kids that struggle that enjoy the ability to be with adults, supportive adults, during the day, another meal, secure environment in the school. On the other side of that, I received an e-mail from one of our (special education) teachers that works with the lowest of the lows. That teacher kind of felt, for his kids, an advantage to giving them a break. There are students that need the repetition five days. There’s others that don’t.”
Chairman Mike Reynolds asked Winslow about the fatigue issue from long school days.
Early on, he heard teachers commenting about that, but he doesn’t hear it any more, Winslow said.
High School Principal Pat Stineff said she heard it early on, during the seven-period day. Now that the school is on a five-period schedule, she doesn’t hear about it.
The length of the school day, longer on a four-day schedule, takes adjustment, Horton said. He thinks it took about a month. Children were tired, but they were just coming back from summer vacation and probably would have been tired on a five-day schedule.
Keeney said he would like to chew on it over the next month then return, vote it and move on.
Board members asked for more detailed information about test scores and an example of the hybrid schedule for the next meeting, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 9 in the Board Room at the Central Office.
Present at the meeting were Van Eck, Keeney, Ellis, Reynolds, David VanDerlip, Nick Augsburger and Jason Redick. Kevin Burger and Jenny Daniels were absent.
In other business, the board:
– Adopted a resolution to refinance general obligation bonds and save some $2 million in debt service payments in the 2027-29 fiscal years. The board approved D.A. Davidson Companies as the underwriter.
– Approved a budget schedule. Three openings remain on the Budget Committee. For further information, call (541) 367-7126.
– Adopted several policy revisions, ranging from integrated pest management to student transportation services an student nutrition.
n Approved contracts for interim Supt. Keith Winslow and interim SHHS Principal Pat Stineff. Both will continue at the same annual salary as their predecessors, Winslow at $108,283 and Stineff at $99,949.