School board puts stop to four-day week plans

Bigfork Public Schools Board of Trustees eschewed plans for a four-day school week during a workshop on Wednesday, Jan. 15.  

The work session came following a public survey in November regarding the switch to a four-day week, which showed 68.4% of total parents were in favor of the change. There was low participation in the poll, however, with only 16% of parents responding. Approval ratings for a four-day week grew with the students’ age; elementary parents voted 60.2% in favor, middle school parents 66.2% and high school parents 70%.   

Sixty-six percent of staff responded to the survey, with a 79% vote in favor of a four-day week.  The teachers’ union presented on Wednesday, suggesting four days of school could mean more prep time for teachers, an opportunity for students to expand on opportunities outside of school, and less disciplinary issues and absenteeism.  

Discussion around a four-day week originally arose amongst teachers as a way to compete with charter schools moving into the Valley. 

In Flathead County, Cayuse Prairie, Fair-Mont-Egan, Olney-Bissell, Pleasant Valley and West Glacier all run on a four-day schedule. No high schools in the Valley have adopted the practice yet.  Montana used to require 180 school days a year but has had  an hourly requirement by grade level since 2005 which allowed for the change in scheduling. 

“Locally, if you look at the public schools that are increasing enrollment, it’s Fair-Mont-Egan and Cayuse Prairie. All the other districts in the Valley have enrollments down,” board member Julie Kreiman pointed out during board discussion.  

Suggested changes would have kept the current school calendar but eliminated late-start Wednesdays and added a minimum 30 minutes to the school day. Rather than closing the school building on Fridays, staff suggested “Flex Fridays,” where students could choose to come in and work on projects or catch up. Teachers would take turns working Fridays in the proposed change.  

“I do what I do no matter what, but this seemed like a possibility, an opportunity, to be better and to grow together as educators and as students,” history teacher Cynthia Wolendeck said to the board. 

Teachers reported that some of their high school classes were made up of academic-driven athletes, which meant large portions of their classroom were missing during sporting events and had to be caught up later anyways. Flex Fridays would have been an opportunity to give extracurriculars a space of their own.  

For the elementary school, teachers planned to work with ACEs and keep food services operating.  

Fifth grade teacher Bridget Martel supported ideation on the project, but found it fell flat as presented, with studies supporting a four-day week taking place in a short time frame after the pandemic.  

“I think at this point, we have a larger population of kids who need to have people checking in on them five days a week, they need to have people feeding them five days a week, they need to have people following them around five days a week,” Martel said.  

Parents who spoke during public comment shared similar concerns.  

Elementary principal Brenda Clarke stood against the shift, advocating for consistent reading and social practice for young students to ultimately prepare them for a five-day work week.  

“I’m against it, because I do not believe it’s in the best interest of students. At the end of the day that’s why we’re here,” she said.  

Middle school principal Charlie Appleby and high school principal Mark Hansen shared similar viewpoints: they would make whatever the board decided work. Hansen expressed concerns that studies have shown high school students should be starting their school day closer to 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., which would not be possible on a shortened school week. He also stated that if high school sports were all moved to Friday or Saturday regardless of a school schedule shift, instructional time would increase.  

“For reading and writing and math, students need it five days a week, that’s what I truly believe...,” superintendent Tom Stack said. He shared concerns about contracts with classified staff; transportation workers would lose an estimated $400 a month in pay, and two contracted buses would lose $1200 a month on a four-day schedule.  

Previously, Stack had concerns that legislators may form bills based off a University of Montana paper, “The Four-day School Week in Montana: A Comprehensive Study 2008-2023,” which ultimately recommended the state return to the 180-school day requirement.    

There were five firm no's from the school board, ending discussion on a four-day week at this time.  

“I think that until empirical data shows that kids are more proficient with a four-day school week, I could never be for it... If we’re trying to benefit the kids, then it seems to me that we stick to the five-day model,” chair Paul Sandry said.  

The next school board meeting will be held in the Bigfork High School Library on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.