By John Dobberstein, Editor
Feedback has come over the controversial proposal by the Broken Arrow Public Schools to initiate a 4-day school week.
The Broken Arrow Board of Education discussed the results of a recent survey of about a shortened week, with 71% saying they prefer a traditional 175-day instructional calendar based on a 5-day school week.
About 7,000 people responded to the survey, 72% of which were parents and guardians of students. About 15% were BAPS employees.
Some 70% of those taking the survey said that if a traditional academic calendar was retained, they would like to see more frequent breaks during the second semester.
Strong feelings were also shared about distance learning days. When asked whether students received valuable instruction during distance learning days, 72% of participated said they disagreed or strongly disagreed.
In October, 46% surveyed by BAPS said they were not in favor of the hybrid week, and last February 49% were not.
BAPS employees who responded to the most recent survey generally were more supportive of a 4-day week, distance learning and added breaks in the second semester.
BAPS has said the idea of a hybrid calendar came during a series of community surveys and as information gathering began district leadership began identifying challenges and opportunities associated with the proposal.
BAPS said schools across the nation have been experimenting with hybrid and four-day calendars for a number of reasons, one of which is teacher recruitment and retention.
Some schools have also been able to increase student engagement through unique extracurricular options on the “off day,” or improve academic performance by using the “off day” as a time for targeted intervention, such as tutoring with students who face challenges.
Mental health continues to be a challenge for both students and staff in a post-Covid world, “and some districts have reported an improvement in mental health among students as evidenced by fewer absences, less bullying and fewer disciplinary issues,” BAPS has said.
District leaders have continued researching the topic. Local school districts and comparably sized districts across the nation have been contacted for information about their calendars, and a committee of more than 125 BAPS parents, staff members and students is currently exploring the challenges and opportunities associated with reimagining the school calendar.
“While schools across the state and nation are experimenting with new calendar models, we are committed to finding the right fit for Broken Arrow,” the district has said.
School board are analyzing the feedback as they work to make a decision on the academic calendar for 2025-26, most likely during the Feb. 10 board meeting. If a hybrid academic calendar isn’t adopted a traditional calendar would be approved at the March meeting.
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