School district applies for four-day week

WASHTUCNA – School board members approved a resolution for the school district to apply to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for a three-year waiver to move to a four-day school week beginning next fall, at their April 27 board meeting.

The waiver would grant the school district to move from a 180-day school year to a 150-day school year.

The decision to approve the resolution followed the second public forum held for the community to ask questions and voice opinions on the decision.

Principal Michael Amend said the application for the waiver was first applied for last year by school district teachers. OSPI responded with feedback including the need for public forums and a community survey sent out.

Amend said of 53 surveys returned so far, 87.8% of respondents were in favor of it. He said 49% of survey respondents were parents or guardians of the district's 71 kids, 30% were students, 26.4% were school district employees, and11% were community members with no kids in school.

"That adds up to more than 100%, because some respondents selected both parent and school district," Amend said. "Two of the student surveys that I know of are not in favor of the four-day week. We want to consider both sides."

The current proposal for next year is beginning school Aug. 24 and ending July 14. The school day would run from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Amend said this year, school began June 8 and will finish Aug. 31, with the school day running from 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Amend said Monday holidays, of which there are four, would result in a three-day school week and a four-day weekend. Winter break and spring break would remain the same.

Amend said graduation requirements would remain the same, as well as the requirement for 1,080 hours for middle school and high school students, and at least 1,000 for elementary school students.

"We have been, and will remain, in excess of those," Amend said.

Salaries and benefits would also remain the same for school employees.

"We started this with a focus group made up of Superintendent Todd Spears and I, certified teachers, classified staff and one parent," Amend said. They have also been consulting with school districts who have already moved to a four-day school week, including Waterville, Pe Ell, Selkirk, Cusick and Bickleton.

Benefits to the four-day week Amend listed included first, the ability to attract and retain high quality staff; second, it allows for better attendance for students and staff who will then be able to make appointments such as doctor visits on Fridays; third, it would give students more time with their families; fourth, other school districts doing this report increased enrollment where it was previously decreasing; and fifth, the economic aspect.

"The money savings is a small piece of the puzzle, and it is something that if it weren't for these other benefits, it would not be worth it," Amend said.

He said the school district would have to report to the state during the three-year waiver.

"You have to provide data that you are still where you were with academic quality," Amend said.

The schedule will be a standard seven period day rather than the block schedule.

"The main question students had was about the block schedule," Amend said. "We weren't able to find any other districts doing that, and the four days between core classes was way too long of a lay-off to have every week."

Amend said athletes would still be eligible for sports, and the school district would continue to provide transportation. Amend said another concern voiced was regarding meals.

"We aren't funded for meals on days when school is not in session, but we are working on some opportunities to cover those days, as well as weekends. The food bank has been outstanding," Amend said. He said another barrier to look at was a significant number of students who wouldn't have childcare on Fridays.

"This is a proposal, and there are still logistics that need worked out," Amend said, adding if the waiver was approved for three years and the school district decided they didn't like it after the first year, they could still return to a five-day week.

"The state only has a certain amount of waivers they will grant, and Reykdal (Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of Public Instruction) has been encouraging school districts to consider different schedules that will work to help make up for the loss of student learning due to COVID-19," Amend said. "He is encouraging people to think outside the box."