Classes at Neelyville R-IV schools will dismiss at 3:30 p.m. for the 2011-12 school year, 25 minutes later than last year.
The change was decided after the school board voted Tuesday night to approve a new calendar. Board member John Hogan was absent.
The calendar features an Aug. 12 start date and, barring no inclement weather days, a May 4 dismissal date. The calendar features 164 days, 10 less than last year. Potential makeup days would be at the end of the year, after May 4, with no scheduled makeup days during breaks.
Administrators will meet Monday morning to further work out how the extra time will be spent. At Tuesday night's meeting board members discussed using the time like a short tutoring period for students who are struggling. Superintendent Brad Hagood said after the meeting other students could be involved in "enrichment activities" during that time. Period lengths would remain the same for high school students; the additional time would be added on as a shorter eighth period.
"We haven't got the complete details but we talked about possibly having teachers providing lists weekly to the office of students who are struggling in their classes and deciding what students need help where," Hagood said, adding students and parents could potentially request help in certain subjects as well.
The format could also open up tutoring-like instruction to high school students who could not receive tutoring last year because their parents could not pick them up after school. Now, the instruction will be included in the school day.
"We should be able to help more kids," Hagood said.
Hagood's proposal would only move up the start time each day by five minutes, from 8:05 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Hagood emphasized the benefits of a calendar with a "consistent, non-changing holiday schedule," allowing staff and families to better plan holiday trips. He said the proposed calendar also would even out the number of days each semester, with 82 in both.
One incentive for teachers and students to make the most of the shortened calendar is a state mandate requiring a return to a 174-day calendar if test scores drop for two consecutive years. Hagood also hopes teachers can "get more accomplished in the extra time after school as opposed to the days after MAP and EOC [End of Course] testing." The schedule would allow for more instruction time before testing in late April, and less down time in session after testing, Hagood said.
The proposal could also save the district money. Hagood first presented the increases in cost. With 10 less days in session, the district would receive $1,964.72 less in free and reduced lunch reimbursements, but the district is still projected to be "in the black."
The plan would also feature an increased cost for secretaries. Secretaries currently work seven hours per day, but Hagood recommended an increase to eight hours per day to accommodate the longer school day. The total cost of an adding an extra hour per day of pay to secretaries would be $1,750.
Hagood believes the savings will outweigh the costs, however. Based on nine buses traveling 60 miles per day each, he calculated the district would save about $4,510 in transportation costs. He also calculated the average daily utility costs for April, May and June and estimates the district will save $360 in electric costs, $60 in water costs and $750 in gas costs.
Total savings, even after accounting for the increased costs, would be about $5,680. The district could also save more than $11,000 in tutoring costs.
Hagood addressed how the district will help bus drivers make up the 30 hours of drive time and cooks the 70 hours of kitchen time that will be lost with the shorter schedule. He said bus drivers could make up some of those hours throughout the year by driving on field trips and subbing on trips through the day, like to Vo-Tech. Hagood also said the cooks will have in-service time and training with OPAA for which they can be paid.
The board voted to try the new schedule for the upcoming school year.
"If it doesn't work, we will go back to the way it was," said board member Steve Womack. "They are going to get a better education, that's for sure."
"I don't really see why it shouldn't work," said board member Steve Dennis.
Hagood said after the meeting he is very excited about the new calendar.
"If we can do what we want to do, if we can get things structured, I think it's going to be very beneficial to our students," he said.
The board also accepted the resignation of full-time social worker Elaine Mullins, although she will continue to work for the district part-time.