By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON —Over two dozen public school districts in Kansas currently operate on a 4-day week.
Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309 Superintendent Curtis Nightingale said his district is looking at what four-day school weeks might look like in future years.
"We actually put a committee together in October and started just looking at the research out there, as it relates to student achievement, applications, in terms of that retention and recruitment of staff, etc. We're at least looking at it. We've had a couple of community meetings, we've done surveys and we've got another community survey out right now, that we're collecting data."
It isn't really about saving money, all things considered.
"A lot of districts went to four day weeks because they considered it a cost savings for the district," Nightingale said. "In reality, that cost savings is kind of non-existent. You might be saving one to two percent when you consider bus routes and bus fuel. Realistically, we're not going to turn the heat down. We're not going to turn the cooling down on that one day of the week and save a lot of money."
The one thing that such a schedule might do is help with staffing.
"If I was offering you a job and you had to decide between two places to work and this place is five days a week and this place over here you get a three day weekend every week, I think that would give the edge to that four day schedule. Obviously, recruiting and retaining staff is a huge piece of this." No final decisions have been made on the subject at this point.
According to the Kansas Department of Education schools in USD 103-Cheylin, 200-Greeley County, 205-Bluestem, 212-Northern Valley, 216-Deerfield, 217-Rolla, 220-Ashland, 225-Fowler, 242-Weskan, 245-So. Coffey County, 275-Triplains, 282-West Elk, 283-Elk Valley, 284-Chase County, 300-Comanche County, 314-Brewster, 382-Pratt, 390-Hamilton, 399-Natoma, 462-Central, 468-Healy, 471-Dexter, 474-Haviland, 494-Syracuse and 505-Chetopa, St. Paul operate on a 4-day week.