OUTDATED: Anamosa Schools propose four-day school week to aid in staffing challenges
Editor's Note:
𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: The Anamosa Community School District has paused the ideas proposing a shift to a four-day school week due to "no consensus."
JE's Feb. 13 publication reported that The ACSD had been seeking feedback from the community to address staff recruitment and retention difficulties and proposed a four-day student school week. However, in a letter sent to parents on Feb. 13, ACSD announced that it would continue with the traditional five-day school week for the 2025-2026 academic year while still researching the matter.
To read more about the update, view here: http://www.journal-eureka.com/update-anamosa-csd-pauses-four-day-school…
****
OUTDATED: Anamosa Schools propose four-day school week to aid in staffing challenges
District looking for community feedback
By Laura Drummy
The Anamosa Community School District (ACSD) is considering a significant change to its school calendar, proposing a shift to a four-day school week starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. The district is actively seeking community feedback as it navigates challenges in staff recruitment and retention, particularly in light of a nationwide teacher shortage.
Three Community Meetings were held on Feb. 2, 4, and 6 to invite community members, parents, students, and staff to an informational event discussing the transition to a four-day school week. This event was organized by the ACSD Calendar Committee, which was made up of 25 staff members from nine departments.
Committee member and District Curriculum Director Erin Jenkins lead the formal informational meeting section.
Reasons behind the proposal
The move to a four-day week is driven by several key factors, including attracting and retaining quality educators, improving students’ social and emotional well-being, and increasing overall engagement and attendance rates.
According to the presentation, Iowa saw more than three times the number of rural schools adopting a 4-day calendar this school year, with additional rural schools considering the option for next year. ACSD engaged in discussions with these schools and discovered they received 10 applicants, compared to just one or two before the calendar change.
Due to its proximity to larger districts, recruiting new staff has been challenging. The district believes the calendar proposal will make ACSD stand out, attract more applicants for any openings, and help retain our current staff.
Jenkins noted that with fewer teachers entering the workforce, ACSD must distinguish itself from area schools.
Format of the new schedule
If implemented, the proposed schedule would see students attending school Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., with classes lasting approximately 55-56 minutes over seven periods. The proposal meets state requirements, as the district plans to exceed the mandated 1,080 hours of instructional time with a total of 1,098 hours.
School will begin on the state-mandated date of Aug. 23. However, the four-day school week calendar will not include any early dismissal days. The calendar will account for major holidays, winter and spring breaks, and five school makeup days, and it will ensure that the school year concludes before June 1.
Fridays would be a non-school day, allowing students to catch up on homework, attend appointments, and participate in activities. This could reduce absences and increase instructional time. Many family trips start on Friday afternoons, making it a good day for families. Notably, the Olin School district, which ACSD shares with, has also implemented a 4-day school week with Fridays off this year.
Teachers, on the other hand, would work every other Friday. Professional Development (PD) will occur the first half of the day on PD days throughout the school year. This will allow teachers to have collaborative team meetings, analyze work, professional learning, and individual preparation for the coming week. The second half of the day would be teachers’ planning time to complete lesson plans and prepare educational material.
ACSD staff feedback
Before holding the public information meetings, the district discussed the possibility within the district starting in November 2024.
“We have to see if our staff is on board with this and we don’t want to lose any of them,” said Jenkins.
The ACSD staff was informed about a potential change, and 81% of the staff members participated in the initial survey. A total of 108 staff members were in favor of the proposal, 27 were undecided, and 20 were opposed to it.
“A majority of staff are in support of this change,” said Jenkins.
Addressing concerns and considerations
While the potential benefits are significant, the district acknowledges several considerations regarding this shift, such as child care, food security, and a shift in participation in school activities on Friday evenings, which was addressed in the formal presentation.
“We know that there will be challenges,” said Jenkins. “These are the ones we can help midgate a bit.”
For families seeking childcare, the district offers the in-house Anamosa Raiders’ Kids Club Program for elementary and middle school students. While the program has a standard fee, assistance is available for families in need, and the cost varies based on income. Currently, 94 children are enrolled, and the program has room to grow. The district also suggested other outside daycares that would be available.
Anamosa would address food security and nutrition concerns by increasing from two to three meals sent home with students on the weekends in the Anamosa lunch program. Currently, a total of 65 students utilize this program. The district will continue to keep the High School Raider Market open, a food distribution program available to all ACSD families with no questions asked. The other food pantry in town, HACAP, will be available too.
“We will continue to look for more solutions to help our families,” said Jenkins.
ACSD spoke with other four-day school week districts about activities being affected since students wouldn’t be gathered for regular school on Friday, and the other district reported that attendance and participation were not affected.
Feedback from the community
Following the formal presentation, a significant number of community members actively engaged in open discussions with district administration and staff, seeking clarity on the underlying purpose and potential impacts of the initiatives presented. They were particularly interested in understanding how these initiatives could affect the community's unique characteristics and overall dynamics.
One of the pressing questions was if St. Patrick Catholic School in Anamosa and how it would be affected by this change. Superintendent Darren Hanna stated that the Catholic School and ACSD share a 28E Transportation agreement and Title but do not control one another.
“St. Pat makes their own decision on what they do,” said Hanna. “It is two different governing bodies.”
Hanna stated that the district has been in contact with St. Patrick and will have further discussions once they receive more community feedback.
Other various topics emerged throughout the discussion, but two key concerns remained at the forefront: teacher retention and child care. The issue of teacher retention highlighted the challenges schools face in maintaining a stable and experienced teaching staff, which is vital for fostering a consistent learning environment. Community members expressed their worries about the factors driving educators away, such as lack of support, student culture and burnout, emphasizing the long-term implications this could have on students' educational experiences and outcomes.
Equally pressing was the issue of child care, as parents and guardians voiced their struggles to find affordable and reliable options for their children. While Iowa Law does not mandate an age at which a child is old enough to stay home alone, the public expressed concern for families who cannot afford child care and have no choice but to leave their children home.
Next steps
As the proposal moves forward, Anamosa Schools is seeking input from parents, students, teachers, and community members to ensure that all perspectives are considered. The calendar committee plans to keep the community informed every step of the way.
The public is encouraged to participate in a survey the district has established to voice feedback, which is available at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduZj6k6l6q24rhSPYw6JEhE9D2bBb….
.
“We know change is hard for all of us, and we just want to focus on what is best for the kids,” said Jenkins.
The survey will be open through February. The responses will be presented and reviewed by the school board.
The Anamosa School Board will have an action item on the four-day school week at its March meeting, which will be held March 17th at 7 p.m. at the district office.
If most people do not support moving to a four-day school week, the Calendar Committee can easily create a five-day school calendar instead.
More information
For more information about the proposal, visit https://www.anamosa.k12.ia.us/2025/01/29/community-meeting/ or contact Jenkins at ejenkins@anamosa.k12.ia.us or the building principals.
Editor's Note: To see one of the full meetings, it can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/j3xKY-JbQ3M?si=9wwpT26yJKuzZjob.
