Clarksville schools started the 2025-26 academic year with a new four-day week schedule, running Tuesday through Friday, with staff professional development on alternating Mondays. The change has raised questions about childcare on Mondays, the day students are off. This summer, Bryan Boysen, the shared superintendent for both the North Butler and Clarksville school districts, told RadioOnTheGo News that the district was exploring options to support families.
“That was a question and a concern and rightfully so. So we’re looking into options for that and see what we can do there. That is a work in progress. We do have a kind of a plan to see if we can make that happen. You know, I think that’s something districts aren’t obligated to do by law, but we’re certainly doing whatever we can to help those families out. When we talked to other districts about daycare as a concern, they said families kind of worked it out. It’s kind of like summer break or holiday breaks, spring breaks. Families find a way to cover watching those kiddos. But yes, that was a concern. We’ve addressed it. We’re continuing to address it. So if we do get daycare secure, it’d be just for those Mondays.”
To help students gain independence and stay safe on Mondays at home, the Butler County Extension Office is partnering with the Clarksville Public Library for a program called On My Own and OK. Designed for fourth through sixth graders, the program teaches kids how to prepare snacks, handle emergencies, and perform basic first aid. Leslie Milius, program coordinator at Butler County Extension, says the program is part of a larger effort to meet local needs while building students’ skills and confidence.
“…and this is targeted to those kids that are starting to feel that independence of, you know, fourth through sixth grade. And we’re going to teach them all kinds of skills on how to stay safe at home alone. So that could be anywhere from how to prepare healthy snacks to what to do in an emergency, how to do some basic first aid. All of those kind of different things.”
Sessions will be held at the library on Mondays, providing a valuable resource for families adjusting to the new schedule. For more information, contact the Butler County Extension office in Allison at (319) 267-27-0-7.
Original story with interview from Superintendent Bryan Boysen can be found here: https://www.radioonthego.com/2025/06/17/superintendent-bryan-boysen-discusses-clarksvilles-move-to-four-day-school-week/
Full interview with Butler County Extension Program Coordinator Lesley Milius can be found here: https://www.radioonthego.com/episode/butler-co-extension-lesley-milius-8-26-25/
