Students would have more time with certified teachers since many professional development and curriculum meetings would be held on Mondays. Additionally, student attendance tends to improve with a shift to the four- day school week. 

If Fox C-6 were to adopt a four-day school week, we would continue to work towards the Missouri Learning Standards (MLS) and would adjust pacing guides to ensure that standards are covered. Depending on elementary, middle or high - more breaks would be needed to keep students' attention span.

A study of Oregon schools shows slightly less academic achievement among gifted students in four-day school week schools than gifted students in five-day week schools. 

Looping can be beneficial for students. Looping allows students and teachers to develop deeper relationships, gives teachers a greater understanding of student learning abilities, styles, and needs which allow them to build on that over multiple years, and provides consistency in expectations for students.  The cons of looping are the demands it places on a teacher to know and implement more than one set of grade level standards and resources - which could result in a more shallow approach to curriculum - and the stress on teachers, students, and families when a healthy classroom culture was not established for one or more parties in year one.  

The A+ program would not be impacted as this is based on attendance, grades, tutoring hours, etc. 

A study of schools in Oklahoma that have switched to the four-day school week found that per-pupil bullying incidents decreased by approximately 39%, and per-pupil fighting incidents decreased by approximately 31%. 

According to a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary report, the four-day school week has little impact on student achievement. 

Teachers would be required to work some Mondays for professional development, but they would not be required to be "on call" every Monday.

This study of school districts in Oregon shows a slight decline in the graduation rate for four-day school districts.

Advanced Placement (AP) classes would still be offered and AP tests would still be given if Fox C-6 shifted to a four-day school week.

Some studies show an increase in teen incidents. There are also reports of decreased behaviors within the school day

All students would still take all four core classes as required each year. Middle school students who qualify would still have the ability to take advanced courses at the high schools (and online). 

There would not be district provided activities on Mondays.  However, Fox C-6 would offer full-day CKC on the day off. 

Fox C-6 has a board-approved curriculum that teachers would continue to follow. However, some pacing may need to be adjusted if we move to a four-day school week.

Some studies show an increase in student attendance following the implementation of a four-day school week.

A  2022 Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education study reviewed statewide EOC and MAP data from 2008 - 2022 to draw conclusions on the impact of the four-day school week on academic achievement. This study found minimal, if any, impact on assessment scores. 

No. The Board of Education will not consider a four-day school week for the 2024-2025 school year. However, a four-day school week calendar could be considered for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Based on an analysis of our current school calendar, days off for holidays, and other districts' four-day calendars, the most likely day off would be Monday. 

 Fox C-6 has developed a sample four-day school week calendar based on the current draft calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. This calendar is merely a sample. It has been developed based on questions we have received to give families and staff members an idea of what a four-day school week calendar could look like in Fox C-6.

SAMPLE FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK CALENDAR

No. If Fox shifts to a four-day school week, we will have to start making up school days missed due to inclement weather. Some Mondays in the Spring would be designated as inclement weather makeup days. 

Our goal would be to compress the length of time between our earliest arrival, which is 7:00 a.m., to our latest dismissal, which is 4:20 p.m., by shrinking the amount of time between each round of bus routes.  However, this will only be possible if transportation staffing allows.

Fox C-6 currently has 1,106.5 instructional hours built into the calendar. 

While the school calendar shifts from year to year, please use the link below to review a sample four-day school week calendar. 

SAMPLE FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK CALENDAR

On some Mondays, staff would be required report to work for professional development, but not all Mondays. 

A sample calendar was developed based on the 2024-2025 draft school year calendar and previous calendar surveys.

SAMPLE FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK CALENDAR

Yes. AMI days are a possibility. However, in many cases, instruction on those days wouldn't be as high quality as if we had the makeup days.

State law only allows school districts to start one day earlier than what is shown on the sample calendar, and that day would be a Monday.

SAMPLE FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK CALENDAR

There are already many Mondays throughout the year on which we do not have school due to many national holidays being on Mondays. If we used Fridays, weeks with a Monday national holiday would then be only three days, requiring us to either lengthen the day or year to make up for that additional time off.

Yes. Students would still be off school for election days. 

SAMPLE FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK CALENDAR

Not at this time.  Surveys of staff and parents over the years have placed very high value on ending school by the end of May.

Fox C-6 would work to avoid this whenever possible. At this time, it appears the only time we would encounter a potential four-day weekend would be on the February election day. Please see the sample calendar. 

SAMPLE FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK CALENDAR

Fox C-6 is aware that childcare is a strained system, and we have experienced this as a district. In our discussions with the Independence school district, which has double the number of students who qualify for free and reduced-price school meals, it has been an issue that many families have worked around.   

There are no plans for this at this time. 

Yes. There would be some opportunities for staff to work in CKC on Mondays. 

Fox C-6 is aware that childcare is a strained system due to staffing. We have also experienced this strain as an organization. However, Fox C-6 will work to provide a full-day CKC program at two or three sites on Mondays if the district shifts to a four-day school week.

The Building Blocks schedule will mirror the district schedule. Building Blocks would be four days per week if the rest of the district is four days.

Caregivers would need to decide if their children are mature enough to self-supervise.

Fox C-6 plans to operate a full-day CKC program on Mondays at two or three sites. We would also contact local childcare providers to see what accommodations they can offer on the 5th day.

The cost structure is to be determined, but it would be comparable to local full-day programs. For example, if Fox C-6 were to implement a four-day school year for 2024-2025, a comparable rate would be around $38 per day. 

Fox C-6 plans to operate a full-day CKC program on Mondays at two or three sites. We would also contact local childcare providers to see what accommodations they can offer on the 5th day.

Yes. Fox C-6 plans to operate a full-day CKC program on Mondays at two or three sites. We would also contact local childcare providers to see what accommodations they can offer on the 5th day.

Fox C-6 will offer a full-day CKC program on Mondays on a limited basis when school is not in session, not including federal holidays. Additionally, Fox C-6 will consider partnerships with other childcare providers in our community.

No. As of March 2024, Fox C-6 is investigating the possibility of a four-day school week through community conversations and surveys. A final proposal would be brought for consideration by the Board of Education. However, at this time no date or decision has been made.

Ultimately, the Board of Education will need to approve a shift to the four-day school week by approving the District calendar. However, before that happens, Fox C-6 will hold a series of Community Conversations around this topic to help inform stakeholders about the four-day school week and survey stakeholders. Additionally, the District’s Calendar Committee will convene to look at options for the district calendar. The Block Scheduling Committee will also convene to look at options for the high school block schedule.

No. District officials continue to listen to staff and community input. Following the Community Conversations, families, staff, and students will be surveyed so that the District can learn more about how stakeholders feel about the four-day school week.

The District's primary reason for considering a four-day school week is the projected financial savings it provides.

Our goal would be to compress the length of time between our earliest arrival, which is 7:00 a.m., to our latest dismissal, which is 4:20 p.m., by shrinking the amount of time between each round of bus routes.  However, this will only be possible if transportation staffing allows.

This will be something that each family will have to work through. There will be limited availability for full-day CKC at two or three schools on Mondays if Fox were to shift to the four-day school week.

No. If Fox C-6 were to shift to the four-day school week, building and district administrators, along with some operational staff, would continue to work five days a week. 

Yes. Each school day would be approximately 40 minutes longer. 

Dr. Jon Turner, an associate professor from Missouri State University, has a website with a variety of resources and research regarding the four-day school week. https://sites.google.com/view/four-day-school-week/home

Meetings will be held with individual work groups to discuss their specific concerns, thoughts, and ideas.

Potential benefits include:

• Research shows that districts save 2-3% of their annual operating budget.  For Fox C-6, this could result in 2.5 - 3.5 million dollar savings every year.
• Research shows that student behavior and overall school climate improve with the four-day school week.
• Students will have more time with their teachers because many curriculum meetings, departmental meetings, and district-provided professional development activities will be moved to Mondays.
• Research shows that school districts that adopt a four-day school week have more success recruiting and retaining employees.
• Research shows that staff and student attendance improves with a four-day school week.
• Teachers would be pulled from the classroom less often.
• Administrators would be pulled from their buildings for meetings less often.
• Enhanced opportunities to recruit and retain staff.

Students would still have the opportunity to enroll in dual credit courses if the District shifts to a four-day school week.

According to a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary report, the four-day school week has little impact on student achievement. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/evaas-four-day-week-technical-report

Staff, families, and students will be asked to complete a four-day school week survey in April of 2024.

Currently, the Board of Education must approve the district calendar. However, pending legislation may require a public vote before transitioning to a four-day school week.

Students with IEPs would continue to receive the services outlined in the IEP. Since the minutes of the week will change, IEPs would need to reflect the new minutes students are in session. IEP minutes are calculated based on students' contact time within the special and general education settings.

IEPs would have to be amended to reflect the minutes in a week students are in session. We would work to do this during contracted time.

Yes. Due to the change in minutes, the IEP services would need to reflect the change in minutes in the school week.

This could happen only on Mondays when teachers are in session. We must ensure that all required members of the IEP team are there. 

We would continue to support all students regardless of this change. The support would take place in four days instead of five.

Timelines are mandated by IDEA and state regulations. We would continue to adhere to these timelines.

No. All students would attend four days a week.

Yes. Hourly pay would be adjusted as needed so no staff takes a pay cut

Students will continue to receive related services as written into the IEP.

There will be no impact on ESY - school would still end by the end of May so ESY could run in June

This would be looked at once we know the number of bus drivers we have and the number of routes that can be run.

Paraprofessionals would work with teachers on training the same amount of time they do now and the Mondays they would need to come in would be pre-determined for planning.

Projected cost savings include:

Utilities - Approximately $225,000
Diesel fuel - Approximately $120,000
Substitutes - Approximately $300,000
Bus repairs - Approximately $200,000
Food Service - Approximately $400,000

The savings will be utilized to maintain staffing, programs, and other operational costs.

A variety of strategies will need to be utilized to address future budget right-sizing.

As we look at our budget planning for the next five years we are going to need to right size our budget. This is just one strategy being considered. We are engaging in these conversations to determine next steps.

We need to identify savings that are able to be repeated every year. 

Other districts have not experienced student enrollment loss. In fact, the Independence School District saw an increase, as did school districts in Arkansas, which has school choice.

We understand the extra Mondays off school will be present a challenge to many families.

Yes, other budget-saving strategies are also being considered. However, many variables go into this, including local assessed valuation and state funding.

We are still investigating this cost. However, Fox C-6 would offer CKC services on Mondays at two or three sites if the four-day school week was implemented. 

Superintendent, principal, teacher, and school board groups are all advocating for better state funding of schools.

This is primarily a function of the limited state funding. But, also a reliance on local property taxes creates a large variance between school districts

There would be periodic days not every Monday.  Having PD and meetings for different groups is a much smaller cost than having a day of school, so even on those Mondays, it will still be a savings.

We continue to gather data on current legislation and what that could mean for this decision.

We have not found research on this topic for the Midwest.

This would have no impact on city taxes.

Hourly wages would be adjusted where needed to ensure staff members would not lose income due to the four-day school week.

Hourly wages would be adjusted where needed to ensure staff members would not lose income due to the four-day school week.

No. All employees currently eligible for board-paid benefits would remain eligible if the District shifts to a four-day school week.

We cannot guarantee pay freezes will not occur in the future.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) dictates overtime rules. Any hours worked over 40 in a week would activate overtime.

Yes. Sub pay would increase because the workday would be longer.

The teachers negotiate a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which determines their pay schedule. Next year will be the last year of a three-year agreement. 

Staff are currently allowed to sell back sick days according to policy and the CBA. The cost can fluctuate each year based on how many staff members elect to sell back sick days.

No. Teacher pay is dictated by the district's collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

No. There would not be a change to the vacation policy. 

Currently we are planning for steps to be implemented, however we cannot guarantee what happens year to year.