Editor:
A proposed four-day school week is being brought to the school board on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
I have some major concerns of what the effect will be on our students, our community and our classified staff.
Many community members do not know who the Sweet Home School District classified employee are. Classified employees are the custodians, cooks, librarians, instructional assistants, secretaries, playground monitors, special education assistants, bus drivers, maintenance workers. electricians, delivery drivers, laundry worker, bookkeeper, payroll secretary, mechanics, computer specialists, internet specialist, dispatcher, speech and language assistants, baker and print shop manager.
As a parent and grandparent, I know that lengthening the school day for elementary age students is difficult for them. Children have a short attention span, do not focus for long periods of time and have a very hard time sitting for extended periods. I leave home for work at 6:30 a.m. and I see elementary students standing, waiting for the bus in the dark. If we go to longer days they will have to catch the bus even earlier and get home later. It makes for an unsafe situation.
The high school and junior high students will have to go to school earlier and their day would end about an hour later than now. That will affect students who work after school, are involved in sports, or babysit their younger brothers or sisters. Research has shown time after time that high school students are more attentive, learn better, are more successful and there are fewer absences if school starts later.
The downtown businesses have had issues when the students are released for lunch. If we don’t have school every Friday, the issues will be more frequent. Many students get restless when they don’t have structured time and they will look for something to do and it may not always be the right thing.
Sweet Home School District classified employees chose not to ask for a raise for the 2011-12 school year, because we know how much our schools are suffering because of the economy.
Everyone who lives in this community is feeling the pains of the bad economy. There are about 160 classified staff who live here in Sweet Home and we all contribute to our town’s economy, but if 160 Sweet Home families each lose between $200 and $800 a month in wages it will affect every business in town. There are other ways to save money within the district that don’t target the classified staff.
Furlough days share the cost savings more equally among all staff, administrative, teachers and classified. This makes sense. Furlough days are fairer to ALL employees of the district and save more money than going to a four-day school week
Janice Albert
Sweet Home