BISD board discusses calendar

BISD board discusses calendar Brian Smith Wed, 04/24/2024 - 7:23 am   Jenna Hanks, left, speaks to the Bryson ISD board about the four-day calendar while Jennifer Sheltohn listens. The board will vote again on the issue during the May meeting. Photo/Brian Smith After much discussion over the last few weeks, Bryson residents will have to wait another month before finding out whether the district will revert to a four-day calendar. Board members voted in a three-way tie to approve a four-day calendar during the Monday, April 15 meeting. Voting in favor were board members Sheila Birdwell, Travis Thorne and Blake Brooks with Ronnie Collins, Frank Hefner and Danny Lewis voting against. One spot on the board remainsopenwiththeresignation of T-Bob Hauger. That will be filled as part of the Saturday, May 4 election with the item expected to be brought back at the May school board meeting. The idea of a four-day calendar has been used by many smaller districts in order to keep teachers. During public forum before the vote, those against the four-day calendar gave their opinions to the board. Jonathan Odom said childcare will be very difficult to find in the area. He also noted a later day will make for the need for more snack time. “With the students going longer, they will simply not be getting enough food,” Odom said. Odom said schools with four-day weeks generally start earlier. Many families want to do vacations in the first week of August before school begins. PTO President Jennifer Shelton said many parents work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. She said day care just for Friday alone would cost $100. She told the board many of her friends that are in four-day districts have no idea when their child is in session on Friday. “I went Monday through Friday,” Shelton said. “My kids should as well.” Jenna Hanks said the district has great teachers but there are not many perks to going to a four -day week if other area school districts are doing the same thing. Other school districts in the area, such as Perrin, went to the four-day week to keep their teachers and use the four day week as an incentive in hiring new ones. Hanks said she was worried about academic growth in the district, citing a study that stated four-day students fell behind each year they were in the school. “It damaged student achievement to the point where over the span of eight years it would be like the pandemic all over again,” Hanks said.