The school board in one of mid-Missouri’s fastest growing districts is set to vote Monday evening on whether or not to adopt a four-day school week. Monday night’s meeting begins at 6:30 at 5275 West Red Tail drive in Ashland.
The number of districts in Missouri that have gone to a four-day week is up significantly in the past decade.
Southern Boone R-1 Superintendent Dr. Tim Roth has said that going to a four-day school week addresses teacher recruitment and retention and improves work-life balance. Dr. Roth also says there would be increased family time. Opponents of a four-day school week worry about childcare for the day there’s no school, as well as food needs for the children that day. Superintendent Roth says a committee has been looking into challenges with childcare and food insecurity. He says the district is exploring the possibility of district-run childcare on Mondays. Dr. Roth also says Southern Boone R-1 is working with community partners to expand the Southern Boone Buddy pack program.
The district held a community forum in October, where representatives from three mid-Missouri districts that have gone to four-day school weeks spoke at Southern Boone R-1. Those districts were Hallsville, Harrisburg and Versailles. Voters in the Hallsville school district voted overwhelmingly in November to continue with their four-day school week. That Hallsville vote was 1,077 to 358.
Current numbers from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) show that there are now 179 Missouri school districts with four-day weeks. That’s up from 15 districts a decade ago.