THE Alamosa School Board agreed Thursday to proceed with planning for a four-day school week as early as the 2023-24 academic year, provided it can come to agreement with its teachers union and calendar committee on how a shortened week will work.
School board members expressed a variety of concerns with a shortened school week, but said they would support moving ahead with the planning to allow for a new teacher contract negotiation and then work by a calendar committee to figure the length of days and length of the school year with a four-day week.
Nary a soul showed up in person to argue against the four-day school week, and with the Alamosa Education Association, which represents teachers, pushing for the change, the decision to move ahead was an easy and non-controversial one for school board members to make.
“Our teachers need this, our teachers are asking for this,” said school board president Heidi Richardson.
While Gloria Solis was the only school board member to oppose moving ahead, other school board members raised a variety of concerns, including the need for more childcare for families and activities for students on the week day they’re not in school.
“I became more open to it and think it’s better than the 4 1/2 day week, but I can also envision a way it could be a disaster,” said school board member Michael Mumper.
At the beginning of its meeting the school board held a moment of silence for Athletic Director Eric Melgoza, who died from a traumatic brain injury suffered from an accident at his home on New Year’s Day.
“I just want to say thank you for the time I got to spend with Eric. I can’t say enough about that man,” said Scott Honeycutt, head of transportation for the school district.
It was a push from the Alamosa Education Association, which represents teachers at the bargaining table, that got the school district moving toward a four-day week last year.
The school board in April 2022 entered into a MOU with the Alamosa Education Association to study the four-day week. Now the teachers union and school district will negotiate the next annual contract for teachers and other employees with the four-day school a reality.
For families, the reality of the change will hit when they are presented with a four-day week academic calendar that shows when the school year will begin and end. A four-day school week requires the same number of instructional hours by the state.
If the school district stays with the same number of weeks in a school year, the academic hours would have to be completed in fewer days, generally meaning longer school days for students. Or the school district can add more days to the school calendar to keep the school day from being lengthened.
Teacher mental health and performance was the biggest driver for school board members to support moving ahead with plans for the four-day week.
“Without getting our teachers and staff, and working on building that foundation, we can’t try to help improve our academics. That’s the way I look at it,” said board member Justin Rilling.
While other school board members agreed, they also were clear that there has to be a satisfactory negotiation with the teachers union on compensation and working conditions, and then agreement on the next school calendar to get their final sign off.
“When it comes back, I’m gonna need satisfactory answers to these questions,” Mumper said.
