MORAN — Marmaton Valley schools will continue having school five days a week in the fall. BOARD members accepted the resignation of Elysa Buss as high school English instructor, effective at the end of the school year.
At their meeting Monday, USD 256 Board of Education members voted 6-1 to eschew a four-day school week starting with the 2015-16 school year.
District officials sent surveys to district patrons over the winter seeking feedback on the proposal.
While the surveys from patrons and teachers both indicated support for four-day weeks, “when it came down to it, the board just wasn’t ready for a change,” Superintendent of Schools David Hardage told the Register.
Two patrons, Patti Boyd and Lindsay Drake, spoke at Monday’s meeting in favor of keeping the five-day schedule. Stan Harles spoke out in favor of switching to four-day weeks.
Supporters of changing to four-day weeks pointed to potential budget savings, estimated at between $30,000 and $40,000, by paying less for classified employees (bus drivers, paraprofessionals, janitors, etc.) and transportation and utility savings.
Hardage acknowledged those numbers were imprecise because of fluctuating fuel costs.
Advocates of the five-day week, conversely, stressed the importance of added time in the classroom.
Board members Bill Bigelow, Kris Smith, Joshua Herrmann, John Booth, Jim Armstrong and Steve Becker voted to keep the five-day week. Amanda Allen abstained, and was counted as a “no” vote.
Board members approved rehiring all current classified staff for 2015-16.
MV keeps 5-day weeks
