Board rejects four-day school plan
By Marcus Clem
The St. Joseph Board of Education shot down on Monday a school district plan to adopt the four-day class calendar, preserving the status quo at least for now.
Whitney Lanning, Latonya Williams and Rick Gehring voted “yes,” while Kenneth Reeder, Kim Miller, David Foster and Isaura Garcia voted “no.”
Superintendent Gabe Edgar asked the board to approve the plan, which would have reduced total class days per year to 155 and would have added 35 minutes to the remaining days, allowing for six snow days per year. Kids will go on attending 171 days per year for up to seven hours; schedules vary by grade and building.
Local business and certain labor interests opposed the plan, with the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce making a statement Monday night that its constituent companies feared the four-day plan would be too disruptive. Its internal survey reflected 65% opposition, according to Chamber President and CEO Natalie Hawn. This was primarily based on the idea that the district had not done enough to explain how it would assist parents with the transition, if the four-day calendar had been approved.
“And we vow to continue to work in partnership to help the district for the betterment of our children and our future,” she said. “However, we cannot support you on a four-day school week until there is a clear plan for child care and transportation.”
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.
Several Spanish-speaking parents stood to oppose the change, assisted by a translator.
“We need to invest in the children, they are the future of this country,” said Marileidy Marquez, who said she worked in education in her home country of Venezuela. “As a teacher, I don’t understand how any teacher could support this. We need to value them. Education is so important. I’m just not in agreement with it and I hope (the board) takes into account that the students come first.”
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.
“If we want learning to improve, we need highly qualified educators to teach our students, support our colleagues and strengthen our district,” said Barbara Spencer, who was named the district’s 2023-24 Teacher of the Year. “The four-day class week will help recruit highly qualified, certified staff to our buildings. It will help retain those already here. Our own staff overwhelmingly want it. Tonight I implore you … Do what the teachers and students overwhelmingly asked for you to do, and what your district administration is asking you to do.”
