RIVERSIDE

Highland Community Schools are rolling toward a decision on adopting a four-day school week for the 2024-25 school year.

After delivering a presentation that lasted nearly two hours during a special meeting and work session held Jan. 22, Highland Superintendent Ken Crawford called on the School Board to vote on the four-day week at its regularly scheduled monthly meeting Feb. 12.

At a recent state meeting of school administrators, Crawford said the topic of a four-day school week rolled around the room.

“It’s going to be tumbling in the state of Iowa,” Crawford said.

Crawford hopes to begin the process toward a four-day week in February so that he can finalize a 2024-25 school calendar, a working version that was presented to Board members Monday. He wants Highland to be a state leader in the movement toward a new school week instead of being left behind as teachers potentially leave for other districts that do adopt four-day school weeks.

“We need to show people we’re moving and shaking,” Crawford said.

“I think retention and recruitment of teachers is critical for us,” he added.

Crawford is also superintendent of WACO Schools (a shared job with Highland Schools), which has been on a four-day week for 10 years.

When Highland teachers were asked in a survey if they preferred a four-day work week, 95.4% of the 65 respondents indicated they did. Another 62% said they were likely to stay at Highland Schools if a four-day week is adopted.

Jane O’Leary, Highland Elementary School Principal, told the Board that’s the highest across-the-board agreement she has seen in 30 years.

In addition to the survey, a number of meetings and discussions included a series of meetings with parents in January. Discussions with staffers go back months.

Some of the push back among School Board members came from Monica Jepson, Vice President, who wondered what the value would be for students in the district.

Others were concerned about how parents would handle their kids being at home on a Friday studying instead of in the schools, and needing care and supervision.

It was also suggested the move to a four-day week could be delayed a year. In that time, Crawford said, teachers could move to other districts that do have four-day weeks.

“If we’re going to have to wait another year,” Crawford said, “we’re going to lose teachers.”

The proposed 2024-25 calendar still includes three five-day weeks so that the district can complete classes and its state requirement of 1,080 instructional hours before Memorial Day Weekend.

The calendar also includes a number of professional development days for teachers.

Even on a week when there is no school on Friday, Crawford said activities and athletic events would still go on.

The movement toward a four-day school week has become a national trend with schools in 26 states adopting the format. In Missouri, more than 160 school districts are on a four-day week. Among local schools, Lone Tree is also considering a move to a four-day week.

Expanded Preschool

The Board approved a plan calling for the 4-year-old preschool program to be expanded to an all-day format, beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

Currently, the district’s preschool program are half-day sessions, either mornings or afternoons. The preschool program is run at Highland Elementary School in Riverside.

Board Action

The Board approved the disposal of obsolete phone equipment in tech rooms, at no cost to the district.

Next board meeting: The board will hold its next meeting at 5 p.m. February 12.