Last year, the Missouri Legislature approved a measure that required some school districts to get voter approval for 4-day school weeks. One of the first votes took place this week in Crystal City.
“The vote with all precincts counted on the election Tuesday was 86.7% yes in favor of continuing with the 4-day week in Crystal City schools and 13.2% no. I think it qualifies as a landslide support of the 4-day week in Crystal City,” says Jon Turner, Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling Leadership and Special Education at Missouri State University.
Speaking on Total Information AM on KMOX, Turner says “In a way I’m surprised by the margin. You know whenever you go to the vote of the people in the general election you don’t know what you’re getting into.” He says research is always focused on parental support. He points out, “Some of our research that we've done around the state shows about 80% parental support of the 4-day week. But whenever you throw in every voter in a district, again people that no longer have kids in a school or maybe never had kids in a school, when you throw those numbers in, I am a little surprised that in a general election you would see 86% approval but it passing doesn't surprise me. It's just a margin that is so surprising to me.”
He says parents of early elementary age children are less likely to support it than middle school and high school age parents.
Currently, there are more than 185 school districts in Missouri that have 4-day school weeks. Next year there will be over 190.
Does it really help academic performance? Research shows academic performance has not been affected. Turner says “DESE our Department of Education took on the study a couple of years ago with an outside source an outside research organization and what they found in Missouri that it had no impact neither positive nor negative."
Last year Bill 727 was passed that says school districts located in counties or cities that have more than 30,000 residents can put a 4 day school week proposal on the ballot for voters. Cities or counties with less than 30,000 inhabitants can make a 4 day school week decision by 7 member school board vote.