Ash Grove School District considers hybrid, 4-day week

R-4 Board of Education gets public input, pushback on possible schedule change
During a Monday, Nov. 14, public forum to discuss the newly proposed hybrid, four-day school calendar for next school year, the Ash Grove Board of Education looked to receive community feedback and explain the necessary actions if this calendar were to go into place.
The school board has considered making this change in the past, with a vote on a four-day school week narrowly failing, 4-3, in May of 2022. At that time, the board was voting on a true four-day school week, as opposed to the current option hybrid calendar, which would have most Mondays off, with the first Monday of each month usually requiring students to attend. Board member David Alborn said that this was done to achieve more consistency than the current calendar, which has three-day weekends sprinkled seemingly at random throughout the year.
The new idea was met with many questions and criticisms throughout the two-hour session. The small but vocal audience of about 40 people, including several district teachers, gathered in the elementary school cafeteria and let their grievances with the new schedule be known, with many believing the new calendar is a half-measure, while preferring a true four-day school week.
Others at the meeting voiced their concern with finding affordable childcare during times when kids would normally be in school—a problem the school board said they had possible solutions to in the form of Pirate Pals and other after-school programs.
The new school calendar is still under consideration, and no decision has been made on a definite schedule yet.