Board weighs modified four‑day week; administration recommends careful study and parent survey

The superintendent presented staff survey findings on a proposed modified four‑day week (five‑day week before Christmas; four‑day week after) and recommended further study before any adoption. Roughly 48% of staff said they supported the modified calendar; another 19% said they would support it if key questions were resolved. Administration estimated modest operational savings (roughly $50,000–$75,000) but cautioned that many costs and impacts — notably childcare burdens for families and lost hours for hourly staff such as food service employees — could reduce net savings or create equity issues.

Board members asked for a road map and extensive parent/community outreach. The superintendent said he could present an implementation outline at the February meeting and recommended a multi‑step process including parent surveys, staff and principal working groups, site visits to other districts, and modeling of enrollment and fiscal effects. "If we do this, we have to do it for the right reasons," he said, urging the board to prioritize serving students and families rather than treating the calendar primarily as a cost‑savings measure.