Dear El Dorado Springs Patrons, Students, and Staff,

As you may know, many of the area schools have moved from a traditional 5 day per week school schedule to a 4 day per week schedule. While we have not made any move toward the 4 day week at this time, a number of patrons have inquired about this so we are conducting a community survey to determine if there is support for a four day school week. Currently there are 52 schools in Missouri that are utilizing a 4 day week schedule. If we did move to this calendar, the most likely day not in session is Mondays and we would lengthen the school day by approximately 30 minutes to make up the hours missed on Mondays. Extra-curricular activities would still operate on a 5 day schedule—practices and games would still be held on Mondays.

There are some advantages to look at when considering a 4 day per week schedule:

* Schools on a 4 day schedule report better staff and student morale and better attendance.

* Teachers will have more time to prepare for classes, hopefully improving instruction.

Most schools that move to a 4 day week report no significant change in student achievement.

* Parents can utilize Mondays to take care of orthodontist, dentist and doctor visits rather than having to pull students out of school.

* Small cost savings to the district—most districts save around 1-1.5 % of their budget—for El Do this would equate to around $100,000.

* Perhaps the most important—as more and more schools move to a 4 day schedule, it will become harder to recruit teachers to come to our district.

Disadvantages of the 4 day schedule include:

* Day care issues for parents on Mondays.

* No school provided meals for students one day per week.

* Possible impact on classified staff (food service, transportation, teacher aides).

* Slightly longer school days.

Please understand that we are relatively neutral on this issue—we want to hear from staff, parents and patrons regarding this. We have created a survey for this purpose. Use this URL https://goo.gl/forms/QU18w4csDNUHIMfK2 to complete the survey online. Parents and patrons can obtain a hard copy of the survey to complete by contacting the Superintendent’s office during normal business hours at 417-876-3112 or info@eldok12.org. We appreciate your feedback on this matter.

Mark Koca, Superintendent