Sean C. Morgan
The District 55 School Board voted Monday night to continue using the four-day school week based largely on uncertainty over finances.
It came down to a choice for some board members who believe the five-day week is superior, a choice between reducing class sizes or going back to a five-day week. Some wanted to see more testing data following another year of a four-day week, with the idea of revisiting the issue again next school year.
The teachers were all over the place on the question, said union President Lisa Canaday. It’s not a simple yes and no for teachers. Some prefer a four- or five-day week. Others just want the issue resolved.
The teachers like the School Board’s broad goals, such as reducing class sizes, Canaday said. “To reduce those numbers, you have to add staff. It’s simple math.”
The teachers are concerned most about losing prep time, especially for elementary teachers, she said. And if the five-day week, a money-saving effort, were to be restored, the teachers would not be open to any rollbacks the next time they bargain. That includes furlough days and pay freezes, which are crisis measures.
Classified employees are split about 30 percent in favor of the four-day week and 70 percent in favor of the five-day week, said union President Velma Canfield. Some of the classified employees feel like students are in class too long each day in the four-day schedule. The younger students are exhausted by the end of the day, and some special education students need to be reading and doing math five days a week.
The four-day week provides as many hours as a five-day schedule, but the days are longer.
“Go back to the five-day because the kids need that time,” Canfield said.
“I just think that the four-day week, in my personal opinion, I think we’re giving our kids an inferior education,” said Chanz Keeney, board member. The 15 days taken from the five-day schedule are valuable.
The district went to the four-day to save money and to even out a schedule that had furlough days, Keeney said. The district’s budget has grown by 20 percent since then.
Staying with the four-day week saves the district only $273,000 at this point, according to information provided by Supt. Don Schrader. The original estimate for savings was more than $400,000.
None of the larger districts are going to four-day schedules, Keeney said. “It’s because the five-day is the better way to go if you can afford it.”
“I think there were some unidentified consequences people didn’t foresee,” said Dave VanDerlip, board member. The children get the same seat time, but some of it is low quality at the elementary school because they’re in school too long.
“The School District could save more money if we went to a three-day week,” increasing the length of the day further and maintaining the same seat time, VanDerlip suggested to exaggerate and demonstrate the problem with the four-day week.
Additionally, it’s a hardship for families with two working parents, he said. The district is saving money, but those families are picking up the cost paying for extra child care.
“Two hundred seventy-three thousand dollars is a lot of money,” VanDerlip said. “In the budget we have it’s a relatively small amount of money. Was it worth it?”
“Either way for me, I can work with it,” Schrader said. “There’s nothing out there that shows it’s detrimental to learning. I can appreciate what you’re saying.”
It also has provided time for professional development, Schrader said, and he believes that’s making a difference for students.
“I think we’re doing some great things in our classrooms,” Schrader said.
“I’m definitely pro-five day, but I’m anti-flip flop,” said Leena Ellis, board member. If the finances won’t support it sustainably, she doesn’t want to switch to the five day and then have to return to the four day.
She also thought spending more money on new teachers to reduce class sizes is more important.
“I don’t think they learn as well,” said Mike E. Adams, board member about the four-day week, but he is concerned about the financial situation, wondering whether the legislature’s extra education money this year will appear next year or how the Public Employees Retirement System reforms will fare in court.
“I’d rather spend the money reducing class sizes first,” Adams said. “I guess I’m kind of anti-flip flop too.”
Mike Reynolds, board member, said he was all for spending resources to reduce class sizes, and he thought the district still needs time for training teachers with the new Common Core curriculum. He thought the district should stay on the four-day week through the next year and and get an idea about its effectiveness.
Ellis didn’t think the district had enough money to reduce class sizes and return to a five-day week, and Keeney disagreed.
“Like you said this flip flopping is not good,” Keeney said told the board. thought thinks the board could approve the five-day week and reduce class sizes. The recession is fading, and there has been more revenue.
Voting for the five day week were Keeney and VanDerlip. Voting to remain on the four-day week were Ellis, Adams, Dale Keene, Reynolds, Jenny Daniels, and Kevin Burger. Chairman Jason Redick was absent.
In other business, the board:
n Approved a resolution sending a renewal request for the 32-cent local option levy to voters to operate the pool in May. The board previously agreed to ask voters for a renewal, but it needed to formally pass a resolution to move it forward.
n Hired Judy Thomas as .8 full-time equivalent temporary alternative education teacher at the District Office for the remainder of the school year.
n Accepted an IDEA Enhancement Grant for $5,305 to be used to support training and support of students with disabilities.
n Held the first reading of numerous board policy revisions.
n Learned that Schrader is proposing to use Jan. 17 as a snow makeup day. Board policy and state law allow for up to 14 hours of emergency closure time, so the first two snow days will not be made up. The district closed schools Monday through Wednesday last week, and schools were delayed two hours on Thursday.
Oak Heights was delayed two hours on Tuesday due to broken pipes.
Last week, the kindergarten activities room, used as a play area, was damaged by broken pipes.