LOUISIANA, Mo. — The Louisiana School District is exploring the possibility of a four-day week that would begin in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year.

Superintendent Dr. Todd Smith pointed out the schedule change is an important factor in attracting teachers. The four-day week model is not commonly utilized by larger school districts but has been embraced by rural districts for a variety of reasons such as attracting staff members.

“This evens the playing field for a rural school district. How do rural schools attract the talent that is very well paid in the city? The four-day school week is a solution that allows us to compete,” Smith explained.

He noted the district is in the discussion stage at this point.

“We have spoken with our teachers…weighing the pros and cons,” Smith said. “Our next move is to speak with parents at parent-teacher conferences to understand their biggest challenges with the change.”

He asserted the district is focused on helping families make the change and taking public input into consideration before making a change.

Clopton, Elsberry and Van-Far have all adopted the four-day school week. These schools and others across the state serve as a template and provide expertise for other schools looking to make the transition.

“The biggest thing is, what are your kids going to do on a Monday? The good news is, there are a lot of solutions there,” Smith remarked.

There is the possibility of an all-day program being offered at the Twin Pike YMCA, churches offering some sort of care or program, and other options.

“It’s usually that first year while everyone is kind of finding their legs. The research has shown that after that one year, everyone has kind of figured it out. Some of those Monday programs kind of fall off because parents already know what they are doing with their kids and make arrangements,” Smith noted.

He added the district wants to hear from the public to address any concerns that individuals may have about transitioning to a four-day school week.

“The idea here is to get the best teachers, the best instructors we can for our kids. This is a really good way to do it,” he said.

Smith discussed the matter on the Eagle 102 Morning Show recently.

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