Four Days Or Five?
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Executive Committee members launched preliminary discussions on Tuesday night as St. Landry Parish school board members consider the possibility of transitioning to a four-day week.
No action has been taken on the issue and board members indicated during the meeting that there are no immediate plans for moving to fewer campus school days.
Apparently any decision on moving away from the traditional school week may have to wait at least another year.
Board members have been presented with a five-day work week calendar for the 2026-27 session, a matter that is awaiting approval from school employees.
A proposed shortened school week was introduced by District 11 board member Tiffany Nolan, who told Executive Committee members that she has been approached by individuals interested in reducing the number of campus school days.
Board members, teachers’ organization representatives and individuals who attended the meeting referenced academic research that examined four-day school weeks.
Renee Aymond, a middle school principal in another parish and a board member who represents District 5, said she is not a proponent of a four-day week.
Aymond said she has studied the four-day week and her research shows that there are minor financial savings by discontinuing five days of classes.
“When you think about the financial savings, (four-day weeks) it doesn’t make sense,” said Aymond.
There are some districts, Aymond noted, that use hybrid weekly scheduling, that is alternating four and five-day weeks within a school year.
Willie Singleton Guillory said the parish Federation of Teachers organization supports a four-day week.
The LFT position, Guillory added, is based on research which she claims reduces employee burnout and absenteeism.
Board members Robert Gautreaux and Kyle Boss, who represent districts on the southern fringe of St. Landry said their constituents are not in favor of four-day school weeks.
Gautreaux however suggested that the District eventually submit a survey that involves employee and parental input.
Gautreaux said he has heard mixed reviews about moving to four-days a week.
The feedback that he has heard, Gautreaux said, is how does a four-day week benefit students.
Law enforcement, said Gautreaux, is also concerned about what happens when students are potentially left alone in homes on days where they were previously on school campuses.
