Board vote

By NewsPress Now

The four-day school week debate will come to a close in St. Joseph, at least for now, as the board voted Monday to choose which way to go for the next academic year.

Superintendent Gabe Edgar asked the board to approve the plan, designed to reduce total class days per year to 155 and add 35 minutes to the remaining days, allowing for six snow days per year. Kids currently attend 171 days per year for up to seven hours; schedules vary by grade and building. 

The local arms of the Missouri State Teachers Association and the Missouri National Education Association, which represent staff labor interests, endorsed the plan, citing a district survey in which more than 80% of employees said they wanted the change. Edgar has said he considers the plan the best tool available to improve staff recruitment and retention. Dozens of job vacancies currently exist and will increase before the end of the year. 

On Saturday, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local No. 2, representing more than 15,000 workers including many parents with young children, said the district should not adopt the four-day plan, citing a survey by their members in which 84% said they disapprove of it.