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Four-day week considered in Bath schools
By Cynthia B. Coleman • Staff Writer
WARM SPRINGS - Statewide, schools are considering a four-day week to save money on fuel and reduce expenses. But it could mean serious day-care issues for parents of small children, and pretty long days for others.
The Bath County School Board met Tuesday to ponder the idea; all three school principals had given members a slew of information, including the pros and cons. The board decided to table any action until next month, after reviewing the reports in-depth.
The board has information from other counties which have either already gone to this schedule or are considering it, plus academic studies on a four-day school week.
Bath County High School principal Pete Pitard submitted revised bell schedules for regular and activity days, a sample of what the 2008-09 school year calendar would look like, and a summary of the implications for instruction, special needs, attendance, sports, nutrition and the facilities. He gave no recommendation one way or the other.
Valley Elementary School principal Les Balgavy told the board there were some advantages, like not having make-up days at the end of the year, but using the fifth day of the week for those. Also, he said, fuel savings would help with expenses since salary increases were so small this year; staff absences would decline, though student absences would remain the same because parents schedule appointments when it is convenient for them, not the school.
Disadvantages that Balgavy listed included less flexibility in providing after school tutoring; children whose parents do not want them coming home too late in the day will be picked up early more often; the after school and sport activities would be affected; and Adequate Yearly Progress could be affected because one absence day would equal one and a quarter day.
Millboro Elementary School's new principal Wes Eary also said MES could save money on busing and fuel, on utilities if buildings are closed, and the staff would save fuel. In the area of instruction, a longer school day would give some activities the time they really needed and children who need more time to learn would benefit.
Eary was concerned that in some months, children will travel to school in the dark. And meetings after school would require people to stay later.
Eary asked the board to consider alternating the day off with Monday one week and Friday the next to put some four-day weekends together.
Before the length of the school day can be considered, the board must decide on the school week's length. Virginia schools are required to provide 180 days or 990 hours of instruction each school year. According to Sue Hirsh, director of instruction and personnel, the current school day has excess instruction time already built into it when lunch periods and bus schedules are considered.
School business manager Justin Rider said the schools could save about $26,000 from the maintenance budget if the system can realize a 5 percent savings on utility costs.
Superintendent Dr. David Smith recommended the board revisit the idea in August.
After discussion, the school board decided not to take action on the matter, but continue to study the subject, using information gathered as a starting point for division-wide and community-wide discussion and planning.
Dual enrollment
The school board discussed complaints about the cuts in funding for the dual enrollment programs for seniors at the high school. Students who meet the free and reduced lunch guidelines would continue to have the program funded as mandated by state regulations.
Pitard said the program is offered to 11 students, though only four have signed up for the coming school year. The amount of $15,000, which was cut from the budget, is based on an enrollment of 10 students.
The high school sent out letters to parents in June saying the dual enrollment courses offered at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College would no longer be paid for by the school. The cost for tuition is $87 per credit hour and each course is three credit hours, which totals $255 a course. Three courses are offered that would cost $765 per semester. Because of scheduling issues, the high school is unable to
Bath schools offer the program in single courses.
Smith gave the board a letter from Dr. Billy Cannaday Jr., Virginia's superintendent of public instruction, which says that school boards are not required to pay for dual enrollment programs between pubic schools and community colleges, but are encouraged to do so.
With that understanding, the board looked to Rider for any pennies to pinch out of the budget in order to pay for 10 seniors in the program. The board found $14,525 from five areas: $3,775 saved in hiring two fewer staff than planned with those new positions coming in at lower than anticipated payscale; $3,000 in the extended school year summer program for disabled students; $4,000 saved through one less teaching period than anticipated; $400 saved by not hiring a CPR instructor (the school nurse will teach the program); and $3,350 by cutting an assistant football coach. The total amount could come close to $17,500 through the tuitions paid for those students in the free or reduced lunch program.
The question of textbook costs came up because in some classes, such as welding, the books can cost $125 each and three are needed for the welding course. Before this year, the high school has had the textbooks and students used them at no cost. This year the textbooks have changed for some of the courses, and the high school does not have those books.
Barbara Waldeck of the Valley Springs District made the motion for the high school to pay the course registration fees for dual enrollment classes, contingent upon division reimbursement for any grade below a C; contingent upon parents having to pay for any new text books; and contingent upon the school board members receiving a copy of letters sent to and contracts signed by the students' parents.
After the motion was seconded, board chairman Eddie Ryder spoke against it. "I feel it's the school board's duty to provide a free and appropriate education for our children," he said. "I'm not going to vote for this motion because it's leaving things up in the air. If we pay for it, we should obligate ourselves to pay for all of it."
The motion carried 3-2 with Ryder and Jake Cleek, Warm Springs District, opposed.
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