A recent survey of parents of students in the Fayette school district showed that most hold a positive view of the four-day school week. The positivity rate increases at higher grade levels.

An additional question on parent surveys this year inquired as to the impact of the four-day week. The district changed to a four-day schedule starting with the 2020-21 school year, despite opposition from many in the community. The rationale behind the move was to attract and retain teachers.

A total of 52.8% of 143 Daly Elementary parents said the four-day schedule had a positive or somewhat positive impact. Those who said the four-day week had either no impact or a negative or somewhat negative impact tallied 23.6% each.

The number of parents considering the move as positive or somewhat positive increased to 63% at the middle school, and 75.4% at the high school. Of the 80 parents of middle school students, 24.7% said the schedule has a negative or somewhat negative impact, and 12.3% said it had no impact.

Only 8.8% of 57 parents of high school students held a negative view of the four-day schedule, and 12.3% said it had no impact.

The figures were presented by Superintendent Jill Wiseman at the board’s most recent meeting on Monday, April 18. 

Several school districts across the state, including Harrisburg, Higbee, and Hallsville nearby, have moved to the four-day week since the Missouri legislature changed the requirement for school attendance. Formerly, schools were required to be in session for 174 days. The change dictated that districts must be in session for 1,044 hours, excluding any daily requirement.

According to data provided by Wiseman, the Fayette district was in attendance for 1,088 hours during the 2020-21 school year, down only four hours from the 2018-19 academic year, in which the school operated on a five-day schedule. (Total hours were not considered for the 2019-2020 school year due to the statewide suspension of in-person classes during the pandemic).

Wiseman’s report stated that the district is expected to hold 1,086 hours of instruction for the current academic year.