In Focus

I was stunned when the local school board announced a sudden one-hour work session to revisit the four-day school week proposal. It was announced not even a day after a previous vote, which felt like an affront to the democratic process. The community was already deeply divided, and this unexpected turn only intensified the frustration and confusion.

Work sessions on topics are standard, but this was held after the board voted on the four-day week and it did not pass. They were doing things backward, giving people either false hope or making them angry after beating the figurative dead horse which deepened the divide in the community.

It’s depressing watching people fight among themselves, faculty against the school board, and the public against the administration. I sat and watched the reactions and the comments online and I heard the comments in the halls. People are very angry, and they have every right to be, whether they were for or against the four-day plan. 

At every meeting I attended, the audience attendance grew. The tension became thicker, and people exchanged looks of anger or worry as the school board members spoke, sharing their thoughts on the proposal. The school board members themselves were dealing with weeks of harassment from the community on both sides of the issue. And at the work session there was an explosion of anger and confusion. The board, voted in by the public, now faced their wrath. Either way, the decision would stand. 

There was no single decision that could please everyone. Someone was going to lose, and someone was going to win. That is not an easy decision to make, and the board members held firm on their previous votes. This came as a shock to many, as they had been led to believe that votes would change in favor of the four-day week. I applaud the board for that. These are not easy decisions to make. 

I can’t imagine the amount of work that went into researching the four-day week. I also can’t imagine the logistical nightmare of implementing it in time for the next school year.

If this comes up next year, they may try for an application again. The damage is done for now; the community is enraged, and the finger-pointing continues. Hopefully, people will cool down over the summer. Still, others are planning to transfer their kids to other districts. 

The idea is out there now, and there is no taking it back. No amount of finger-pointing or blaming is going to change anything. It’s time to bandage the wound and let it heal and move on.