Two school districts in the listening area have made formal decisions regarding transitioning to a four-day instructional week, with Exira-EHK approving and South Central Calhoun opposing the change. Both districts conducted extensive research, gathering community input through surveys and town hall meetings, with 85 percent of staff, parents, and community members in favor of Exira-EHK, while 60 percent opposed for SCC. The driving factor behind the initiative was to strengthen teacher and staff retention and recruitment efforts and continue prioritizing student learning. Exira-EHK Superintendent Trevor Miller says, “We deeply value the input of our community, and this decision reflects a collaborative effort to ensure our students receive the best possible education. Our goal is to maintain an environment where educators feel supported and students continue to thrive.” Miller is the shared superintendent between Exira-EHK and Audubon CSD and he says no discussions are being held about a four-day week at Audubon CSD as it would not be feasible to try to accomplish this at both districts. SCC Superintendent Brad Anderson says after receiving community input, it was discovered that a four-day instructional week was not the best fit for SCC, saying, “The SCC CSD voted to go with an alternative five-day calendar consisting of additional periodic breaks and staff professional development throughout the school year and including a full week of spring break. This was the unanimous choice of the Board rather than to pursue the four-day alternative week after an eight-month process where data was gathered from staff and parent/community groups. We are proud of our partnerships with our community and we sincerely appreciate those that participated in this process.” Exira-EHK will be releasing further details on scheduling, academic adjustments, and support services, such as daycare, for families in the next upcoming months.
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