Douglas explores four-day school

Board wants staff surveyed

By Andrea J. Cook, Journal staff | Wednesday, September 26, 2007

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Employees of the Douglas School District will soon have a chance to express their opinions on a four-day school week.

At Monday's board meeting, the Douglas School Board directed superintendent Loren Scheer to survey the staff to evaluate interest in a four-day school week.

"I wouldn't even say the board is considering this," Scheer said Tuesday. "The board is taking information on it, more than anything."

The idea of switching from a five-day to a four-day school week came from the staff during contract negotiations, Scheer said. The school board passed the concept on to the district's education council for further consideration.

Members of the education council heard a presentation from representatives of the Custer School District, which has a four-day school week.

School board member Les Schwartz said Custer did not save as much money as expected by switching to a four-day school week. And, the change was not well accepted by some patrons in the district.

"It divided their district; they still have some people that fight them every step of the way," he said.

Scheer said the four-day school week has worked well in smaller, more rural school districts.

On Monday, board member Larry Larson said that reducing the school week by one day would most likely have a bigger impact on support employee,s such as bus drivers, custodians and lunch assistants.

Scheer recommended that before investing more time exploring the four-day concept, the board decide why it wants to look at the idea.

"Is something not working with five days? Is it going to improve our student achievement?" he asked the board.

Scheer said Tuesday that he is concerned about the impact a four-day week would have on poor students. In a school district where 47 percent of students qualify for free and reduced meals under federal poverty guidelines, lunch on Friday is often the last good meal students have until returning to school on Monday, he said.

The results of the staff survey will be used as a guideline for any future consideration of a four-day school week, Scheer said.

School security also occupied the board on Monday.

Plans to install video surveillance cameras in the middle and high schools and around the school district campus could come with a high price tag.

The school board has approved investing $70,000 in a digital video recorder surveillance system, but Scheer asked the board to up the ante for a more sophisticated system using the Internet and the district's servers to store surveillance videos.

The upgrade could cost an additional $80,000 to $90,000, Scheer said.

The better system would provide better video and an extra measure of security for the school district, he said.

As a school district located next to one of two sites in the United States where B-1B Lancer bombers are stationed, security is important, Scheer said.

Contact Andrea Cook at 394-8423 or andrea.cook@rapidcityjournal.com