Districts consider closing Mondays to cut budget, keep teachers

At least three school districts in southwest Missouri are considering switching to four-day weeks.

The Miller, Pierce City and Stockton districts have proposed modifying their 2014-15 calendars so students would only be in class Tuesdays through Fridays. They would be out Mondays.

Districts are exploring the option as a way to save money, better engage students and keep quality teachers. But, officials acknowledge the proposed change is causing concern for some parents — especially about child care.

"Our community wants to make sure our kids achieve at high levels. They want to make sure this change doesn't affect that — as do we," said Stockton Superintendent Shannon Snow. "We have to make sure this is the right thing for kids."

A change in Missouri law, in the late 2000s, allowed four-day weeks and gave districts more leeway in how to structure the calendar. But, the school year must still include at least 1,044 hours.

Missouri districts that have already made the switch include Everton — in nearby Dade County — as well as as Lathrop, Maries County and Montgomery County.

Snow took a team from Stockton to visit Everton and Lathrop, which is near Kansas City, but added that with such a small number of districts making the change so far, there is still some apprehension.

"A lot of superintendents are interested, No. 1, in the cost savings and the positives that could result from that, but they're waiting to see what happens," she said.

Pierce City cited "district financial concerns" in proposing the change. Saving money was also a major factor in Miller, where funding is lower than it was in 2005.

"With a steady decline in revenue, we had to think outside the box," said Miller Superintendent Tracey Hankins.

The 535-student Miller district has scrutinized the budget and believes it could save up to $175,000 a year with the switch. The savings would be in fuel, utilities, hourly salaries and reallocating work. For example, the district used to contract with a company to mow the properties but now the work can be done, on Mondays, by facilities staff.

Hankins said keeping good teachers is also a critical piece. She said the district, just 30 miles from Springfield, hires good teachers but typically loses the best within a couple years because they find higher paying jobs nearby.

"We can't compete with the salaries that other districts are paying," she said. A staff survey showed a shorter work week could provide the "edge" the district needs to retain those teachers.

Hankins said a parent survey showed 35 percent of families would have to figure out a child care arrangement if the change is made. Of those, nearly 70 percent said a family member would likely provide care.

If the modified calendar is adopted, the district is looking at providing a babysitting course during the summer to help families who plan to hire a teen or non-relative to watch a child on Mondays.

Snow, in Stockton, said the new calendar calls for adding in more professional development for teachers. Under the proposal, two Mondays each month would be set aside for those training opportunities.

"That's what I really like about the idea," Snow said.

Despite a plan to shorten the school week, Stockton plans to increases the number of school hours from 1,066 to 1,080 a year. Each school day will also be 30 minutes longer.

"That is one of the hardest things for people to understand," she said. "We are actually adding to the time."