DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY|dewayne@mcnews.online
MOUNT IDA – The Mount Ida School Board voted to adopt an alternative five-day schedule for the 2022-23 school year. The alternative schedule will include slightly longer days, but will end 13 days sooner than the traditional five-day schedule.
Superintendent Mike White presented three options for the 2022-23 school calendar. They included a traditional five-day schedule, an alternative five-day schedule, and a four-day schedule.
Superintendent White shared a survey filled out by district staff. The majority were in favor of a five-day schedule with 67 percent of those favoring a five-day schedule preferring the alternative schedule.
Elementary Principal Donna Whisenhunt shared concerns regarding learning retention and fatigue. She stated that they currently try to schedule their core classes in the morning with activities after lunch because the students lose focus after around 1 p.m. She was also concerned with learning retention after a three-day weekend. She pointed out that COVID-19 had taken a toll on test scores and was fearful that these factors could hurt her students’ progress.
High School Principal Ron McGuire shared some of the same concerns in the high school.
Board Member Chad Summitt pointed out that some of the superintendent candidates had shared in interviews that their current schools had seen a decrease in discipline under a four-day schedule. They had also expressed that they felt their students were more focused.
Superintendent White responded by saying that at every level of his education he was taught that you had 20 minutes with a student before you lost their attention. If this is true longer class periods would not be beneficial to the student.
The four-day schedule would require students to attend school earlier while getting out about an hour later each day. Principal Whisenhunt pointed out that the district currently has some students getting on a bus just after 6 a.m. each morning. A longer school day would require them to be up even earlier while arriving home much later.
Other positives to a four-day schedule were students would have an opportunity to spend more time with their parents, and teachers would have more time to prepare lesson plans.
The alternative five-day schedule does include a slightly longer day while allowing the school year to end sooner. The school will not be eligible for AMI days. However, they will have five days built into the end of the calendar year for days missed.
Summitt asked if they had to decide now or could they wait. However, the board voted to go ahead and approve the five-day alternative schedule with Summitt being the only dissenting vote. He stated afterward that he wasn’t necessarily against the decision. He just didn’t understand why they couldn’t wait to make the decision while gathering more information.
The 2022-23 school year will begin August 15 with five days of teacher professional development with students’ first day scheduled for Monday, August 22. The last day of class for students will by Tuesday, May 16. The traditional five-day schedule would have had students’ last day scheduled for June 2.
In other business:
The board approved the minutes of two previous meetings and the January financial report.
The board approved the budget of expenditures for the 2023-24 school year and all election documents.
The board approved the rehire of First Security Beardsley as District Financial Advisor.
The board approved a student transfer from Caddo Hills School District.
The board voted to hire TJ Wilson as head baseball coach.
The board voted to hire Roy Ray as head boys and girls track coach.
The board voted to accept the resignation of Deena Rae.
The board voted to accept the resignation of Merle Buxton.