NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - The New Bloomfield R-3 school district is in the early stages of contemplating a switch to four-day weeks, Superintendent Sarah Wisdom said.
"The talk has started. We are a very long way from making a decision on that; lots more research has to go in, and we need community input," she said Friday.
The topic came up during Thursday's Board of Education meeting. Members of the calendar committee, comprised of eight volunteer faculty members, first floated the idea while planning the 2020-21 district calendar.
"We started doing a little research and encouraged the committee to talk to other teachers," said Wisdom, who attends the calendar committee meetings. "The committee conducted a survey, which showed 88 percent of teachers would like to look at a four-day work week. The next step was bringing that to board to see if more info was needed or if it's not something we felt would be in the best interest of the kids."
She said board members were receptive but want to learn more about how four-day weeks have worked in other districts and how the district's parents feel about the idea. Currently, 61 Missouri schools use four-day weeks, including North Callaway R-1, which switched to a four-day week in 2017.
Wisdom sent home an FAQ sheet Friday introducing the idea to the district's parents and guardians. She'll send out a parent survey early this week to gain insight on families' opinions and concerns.
"We really want our patrons to have some input," she said.
One thing she wanted to clarify right off the bat: It isn't about money.
"It's not about cost-saving for us," Wisdom explained. "You're going to gain some cost-saving, but that's not the driving force for us. The driving force, honestly, is retaining and obtaining quality teachers. Being a smaller district and not being able to compete with the Jefferson Cities and Columbias, we lose a lot of teachers based on pay."
She believes teachers will see a four-day work week as an attractive feature. Hours will be adjusted so no staff members lose pay.
"We see added benefits. Stats show it helps attendance (and morale) for staff and students," Wisdom said.
Though the details aren't set in stone yet, Wisdom's FAQ and the many other Missouri districts that have switched to four-day weeks provide a glimpse at how it might work in New Bloomfield.
Districts generally extend hours slightly Tuesday through Friday to ensure students still get the 1,044 hours of schooling required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. North Callaway, for example, extended days by 35 minutes.
Students may still attend sports practices and games Mondays, and those who attend Vo-Tech will still receive transportation between the schools.
Mondays become the default day for professional development meetings and making up days missed due to weather.
Wisdom said one of the top concerns for parents and guardians is finding child care on Mondays. Some districts distribute lists of high school students willing to babysit. Many parents already have to find child care during holidays and professional development days.
Research so far has shown no gain or loss in student academic achievement levels in four-day-week schools, Wisdom said.
Over the next month, the district will analyze survey results, research the costs and benefits of a four-day week and speak to teachers and administrators in other districts that have made the switch. Results will be presented at the December board meeting, and Wisdom said the district hopes to make a decision during the January meeting. There may also be a public forum between the December and January meetings.
"Right now, it's just an opportunity we're looking at - we don't know where it's going yet," Wisdom said.