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15th District
lawmakers introduce bill to allow schools' flexibility to go to four day
week
House Bill 1292 is scheduled for a public hearing
in the House Education Committee
Local lawmakers today outlined legislation they introduced that would
allow school districts the ability to operate on a four-day school week.
House Bill 1292 and its companion, Senate Bill 5112, would allow the
State Board of Education to grant waivers from the 180 day school year
requirement.
"When Lyle School
District Superintendant Martin Huffman contacted me with this idea, it
sounded like a good, common-sense solution to meet varying needs of
local school districts. Allowing districts the flexibility to operate on
a four-day school week would be beneficial both economically and
academically," said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside.
“This bill is
about local control," said Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside. "It’s about
parents, teachers and district officials finding an instructional
schedule that works best for their communities. There may be ideas out
there that would result in more money being spent in the classroom if
the districts had more flexibility.”
Rep. Bruce
Chandler, R-Granger, pointed out that rural school districts face many
unique challenges that larger, urban school districts usually don't have
to consider.
"In rural areas
it's common for a team to drive three and four hours, sometimes more, to
a competitor's school. This travel time requires students and staff to
miss large chunks of the school day on a regular basis,” Chandler said.
"House Bill 1292 would give local school districts the tools they need
to best serve their students by allowing flexibility in the school week
without compromising educational standards."
Superintendent
Huffman said the option of going to a four-day school week has broad
community support. He said the Lyle School District studied a successful
four-day work week model implemented in 1995 in Custer, South Dakota.
"The Custer
School District has not reported any negative impacts on student
achievement. In fact, they have reported an increase in student and
teacher attendance, and cost savings to the district," said Huffman.
HB 1292 would
require students receive the same number of instructional hours as a
five-day schedule.
"House Bill 1292
would provide parents and teachers the ability to create a successful
educational environment that best meets individual district and
community needs," said Newhouse. "At the same time, districts would be
able to save taxpayer dollars."
HB 1292 has been
scheduled for a public hearing in the House Education Committee at 10
a.m., Jan. 27, 2009.
# # #
For more information, contact:
Lisa Fenton, Communications
Director
Sarah Lamb,
public information officer
Ashley Forsyth, public
information officer
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