Greenland considers fewer school days to answer budget crisis
Posted on Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Converting from a five-day school week to one with four days would be a rare move in Arkansas, but it could be done, according to an Arkansas Department of Education spokeswoman.
The state requires a school day consist of six hours of instruction time or an average of 30 hours per week. The state also mandates a school year must consist of 178 days.
Department spokeswoman Julie Thompson said she thinks a district could fulfill the requirements as long as the hours of instruction remained at 30 per week.
"If they can work it in the parameters," she said. "It's the 30 hours of instruction time that has to be met."
Greenland Superintendent Ron Brawner is currently gathering information on four-day weeks for the Greenland Board of Education to review at its regular meeting this month.
Thompson said she didn't know of any district currently operating on a four-day school week, but it has been implemented in other states. There are at least two other districts in Arkansas - Mansfield and Hartford - that are reviewing the possibility.
She said she didn't think the district would need any sort of waiver to implement the change, though districts have to get waivers if they start school in August before the state requires or offer fewer than 178 days.
Happy Hollow Elementary, which operates on a special calendar in the Fayetteville School District, receives a waiver so it can start school in early August.
The Huntsville School District received a waiver this year to not make up certain days to fulfill the 178-day requirement because of days missed due to flooding.
The four-day week is expected to be a cheaper option for the districts.
Greenland school board member Ginger Fritch said the four-day week is something the district can consider if it must.
Hartford, like Greenland, is currently on the state's fiscal distress list for financially troubled districts. It features a survey about the proposal on the district Web site.
Mansfield is not on fiscal distress.
The main savings from the four-day week would be less busing and food-service costs because of fewer bus trips and meals, Greenland board President Bill Groom said. Janitorial service could also be provided one less day a week.
There would also be some savings in energy costs, but those are more negligible, he said.
Groom said there are many ramifications to such a change, though, and some give-and-take that would have to be considered.
He said issues include what would parents do with the child on the extra day off, the longer school day for the students, and which day of the week to take off - Monday or Friday, for example.
"My (main ) reservations are a longer day for the kids," Groom said.
On the other hand, the day off might be a convenient time for parents to schedule appointments that normally require the student to miss some school, and it provides an extra day in the weekend for trips or recreation, Groom said.
"I'm kind of interested in learning about the concept," he said. "The devil's in the details."
It may also be difficult to gather patron feedback on the idea before school starts in August.
The district is holding a property tax election on June 10 to increase the levy from 36. 9 mills to 39. 5 mills to raise money for operating expenses. Early voting starts today at the Washington County Clerk's Office in the Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College Ave., in Fayetteville.
Groom couldn't say at this point whether a millage failure would prompt more or less consideration of the four-day concept.
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