JOHNSON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — In a unanimous vote, Johnson County Westside’s School Board voted on a four-day school schedule for the upcoming school year.
Parents will have the opportunity to enroll their children in a 'fifth-day' program offered by the school district, which will include breakfast and lunch for students.
Brad Kent, Superintendent of the Johnson County West Side School District made the announcement in a YouTube video Tuesday, (Apr. 14).
“It’s something that we think will be a great benefit to our students and our staff,” said Kent.
The school administration believes the decision will lead to increased academic achievement for students and will also help in retaining teachers, which can be challenging in small districts.
"We are anticipating, based on what we have heard from other districts, both in and out of state, that student attendance will increase," said Kent. "We have also heard from other districts that teacher attendance is likely to increase, as they are able to make appointments on the additional day off. This should increase our academic achievement."
Kent added, "Our staff also likes the idea of having additional time in the day to practice learned material, instead of having the practice sent as homework. This will allow for a quicker "re-teach" of the material in point and time."
The JC Westside School District has seen an overwhelmingly positive response to the announcement and said the deciding factor in the School Board's decision was community feedback. “91 percent of the community and 98 percent of the school’s staff are in support of the change,” Kent said.
The administration will soon begin developing a calendar for the 2020-2021 school year and says a ‘fifth-day option’ will be available with JC Westside’s Rockin’ Rebels Program.
Rockin’ Rebels is an after-school program, currently offered to students from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and includes a variety of enrichment activities for elementary students including crafts, science experiments and projects, physical activities and academic support.
For parents who can’t be at home on ‘fifth days’ during the school year, the program will be available to assist in keeping children entertained and safe while also offering educational growth.