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• Boyd Seeks to Reduce and Cap Federal Spending
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• Boyd Seeks to Reduce and Cap Federal Spending
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Four Day School Week?
06/05/08 - 07:31 AM

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Mention a four day work week and most adults break out in positive approval.  Kids would probably be happy too if they only had to go to school four days instead of five, but could it really work in education?

That’s a consideration as Bay District Schools struggles to find a way to cut 16 million dollars from it’s budget.

There are not any other districts in the State of Florida to look at as an example.  Other districts, mostly in the mid-west, have gone to the four day school week, but those districts are on a much smaller scale.

In utility, transportation, and janitorial costs the District believes the savings of cutting out a school day could be as much as 2.8 million dollars.  Some people say it sounds like a good plan.

“This would give us the time to get in all the activities the state is requiring,” said Millville Elementary School Principal Shirley Ramsey.

Not so fast say others.

“It’s my opinion that elementary students developmentally cannot handle a longer day.  Maybe 30 minutes one way or the other, but another couple of hours in my opinion would kill them,” said Bozeman Principal Sandy Harrison.

Parents would also have to think about what they’re going to do with their children on the day the kids aren’t at school, but they still have to work.

The Bay District School Board says they want to look into the four day school week, but not as a solution to the budget issues this year.

They say three months is not enough time to re-negotiate contracts with the teachers and get everything else ready for that switch.  If they decide to make the jump the four day week would begin with the 2009-2010 school year.

The superintendent will form a committee to examine the pros and cons of a four day school week.  Several teachers and administrators have already volunteered to serve.

Monday evening the Bay District School Board will re-examine the topic of closing and re-purposing schools at another budget workshop.  It will start at 5:30 in the Nelson Building on Balboa Avenue.