A year after implementing a four-day school week, the Clarksville Community School District is seeing encouraging results.
Superintendent Bryan Boysen says the district gathered feedback in December, and the response has been positive.
“We are seeing a little bit of an uptick as far as interest goes,” Boysen says. “You know this is our first year we gave it a whirl. We surveyed staff and parents and we reviewed that during our board school board share out where teachers showcase what they’re doing in our classrooms. You know, as I perused it, you know the surveys, it’s pretty overwhelmingly positive. And when we were researching the four-day calendar and talking to other districts over a year ago. That’s what those districts said too, you know, at the beginning of the year, there was some, angst or skepticism, but then you get halfway through the year, the year, and you pull those people, you know, the positivity increase. And that’s what we’re seeing.”
The district has also seen an increase in job applicants—something Boysen says stands out after years of staffing shortages
“There’s a couple situations where I can clearly see that the word is out there and people are generating interest,” Boysen says. “So when you post for a vacancy, an open position, whether it’s a teacher or para, we’re seeing an uptick in applicants coming in which is unusual, you know, over the last how many years we’ve seen such a shortage of applicants. But now I’m seeing the trend go up a little bit. I think that has to do with the appeal of that four-day calendar.”
Another early concern—childcare on Mondays—has not developed into a major issue. Boysen says efforts to partner with the YMCA for daycare did not gain enough interest, but families have found ways to make arrangements on their own.
Teachers, meanwhile, are using alternating Mondays for professional development, giving them additional time to collaborate and prepare.
With about a month left in the school year, Boysen says the district will continue monitoring feedback, but early feedback suggests the schedule is delivering positive results.
Full interview below
