Two Heartland Region schools will implement the four-day school week beginning with the 2009-10 school year.

The Iroquois Board of Education adopted the four-day week Monday night on a 4-0 vote. One board member was absent. On March 9, the Willow Lake Board of Education voted in favor, 3-1 with one board member absent.

Mark Sampson, Iroquois superintendent, said the board discussed the proposal for about 45 minutes before voting on it.

During the past weekend, he said several board members called a number of parents of elementary students to get their opinion.

Sampson said nearly all of the parents indicated their support of the plan.

The other school district that recently voted for a four-day week was Willow Lake.

Willow Lake held several public meetings on the subjects including one featuring Dean Christensen, superintendent of the Deuel School District in Clear Lake. The Deuel district is completing its second year of a four-day week.

Kevin Quimby, Willow Lake superintendent, said they had good support from the parents. Several public meetings were held.

“I have not heard from any nay-sayers about the plan,” he said.

He said Willow Lake will try it for two years before re-evaluating it.

While no school will normally be held on Friday, there will be exceptions, he said.

Quimby said there will be school on Friday during homecoming week.

The teacher contacts call for 157 days of teacher-student contact and 18 professional days.

With approval by Iroquois and Willow Lake, they will join Wolsey-Wessington with a four-day week beginning with the upcoming school district.

Shortly before the Willow Lake board voted, Christensen met with the board and public to explain the plan. That occurred in February.

Christensen also came to Iroquois on May 21 to discuss the pros and cons of the plan. His school had just completed its second year of a four-day week.

Sampson said there was some discussion as to how to make up days lost.

When a holiday falls on Monday, he said one plan is to make it up on Friday.

Another possibility, he said, is to make up days lost at the end of the school year.

The Harrold School District in central South Dakota was operating on a four-day week before it consolidated with Highmore two years ago.

In his presentation at Iroquois, Christensen said since 1995 the first South Dakota school district to adopt the four-day week was Custer.

He said the primary reason for not having school on Friday is allowing time for staff development for the teachers.

The day can also be used by teachers to give individual time to students needing extra help.

Christensen said the first goal is staff development and the second is reaching at-risk students. Since the program began at Clear Lake, the number of failing students has been cut in half.

He said the third priority is to save money. Since the program began, Christensen said they have saved $65,000 a year.

Quimby said he’s aware of one other school district going to four-day weeks.

That’s the Frederick district.

He said the four-day week will also extend to the Collins Colony School which is part of the Willow Lake district.

As for the Hamlin-Willow Lake football co-op, that has been discontinued.

Instead, Willow Lake will co-op with Clark in all sports.



For the complete article see the 06-10-2009 issue.

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