COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa — The Columbus Community School District is holding off on switching to a 4-day school week.
The school board has been considering the option since late January to improve student performance and give teachers more time for professional development.
The district surveyed its certified staff which found 84% of them in support of the 4-day schedule, but ultimately the school board wasn't ready to approve such a plan at the Apr. 22 board meeting. They will wait another year before deciding if a 4-day plan is appropriate for the 2025-2026 school year.
Superintendent Michael Volk thinks a 4-day schedule would help with professional development. "The current calendar lacks meaningful time to develop teachers professionally. The PD schedule I inherited when I got here was probably the worst I've seen in the state, because nobody wants to do professional development in the last hour on a Friday," he said.
However, Volk wants to wait until other Iowa school districts try out their 4-day plans. "With 3 districts, one in the north - Highland, one in the west - WACO, one in the south - Winfield, moving to a 4-day week, it's only a matter of time before we see the effects of a 4 day week," he said.
The district also surveyed parents, who are more divided than the staff. 104 families support a 4-day plan, with 85 against.
Board vice president Todd Heck said despite their research, it's too early to go with that plan. "I mean I looked at New Mexico studies, I looked at Oregon studies, I looked at Missouri studies and there's not just any good data on how this affects our students," he said.
The five-person board voted unanimously to stick with a 5-day schedule but moved the early dismissal day from Friday to Wednesday so teachers have a better day to focus on professional development.