Lakeland board declines immediate switch to four-day school week, orders wider community outreach

The Lakeland District Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to reject a proposal to move the district to a four-day school week for the upcoming school year, saying the plan requires more community input and detailed analysis before any change can proceed.

The motion to deny the four-day schedule and develop a year-long community engagement plan passed on a voice vote after extended discussion about instructional minutes, childcare needs and projected savings.

Board leaders said the district received mixed survey results and that additional outreach to parents, staff and community stakeholders is needed. The board discussed outside examples — including nearby districts that implemented four-day schedules — and asked staff to return with more precise attendance, instructional-minute calculations and targeted survey questions for families with young children and special-needs students.

Superintendent materials shown to the board included a draft schedule with adjusted daily hours for elementary, middle and high schools and an estimate of roughly $253,000 in conservative utility-related savings. Trustees and staff cautioned that the savings calculation is a rough estimate and that factors such as building occupancy patterns, staff contract days and the need to run base (childcare) programs on Fridays would reduce net savings.

Brooke Cunningham, director of human resources, told the board that high school schedules could include an optional zero-hour class for students if the course is offered to all students, and clarified how instructional minutes are being counted in the draft calendars. Kelsey Badger, the district’s federal programs director, said services for students with disabilities would be adapted to fit a four-day structure, noting that “SLP minutes are bimonthly and our therapists are monthly, and so those services wouldn’t change; we would just adapt to increase the time that they’re in the classrooms with us.”

Trustees raised concerns about childcare availability, the potential extra costs to families who must pay for care on Fridays, and possible long-term academic effects. Board members also discussed attendance: the district’s recent daily attendance average was reported at about 92.3 percent, and staff said even small improvements in attendance generate state funding tied to student presence.

After debate, the board approved a motion to deny implementing the four-day week this year and directed staff to develop a community engagement plan — including more detailed surveys, town halls and follow-up reports — to be completed over the coming year.

Board Chair Thompson said the district will use the additional time to collect clearer data and involve more families before making a future determination.

The board will consider the outreach results and any revised proposals at subsequent meetings.