By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph School Board members narrowly reject a proposal by the administration to adopt a four-day school week in an effort to attract and retain teachers.
Three board members voted for the plan while four voted against Monday evening after hearing from about two dozen people during a 90-minute public comment period.
“I am more than disappointed, I’m heartbroken,” St. Joseph School Board President LaTonya Williams told KFEQ/St. Joseph Post after the vote, “because I know how much of a difference that this could have made to the teachers, to the district, and our kids.”
Williams supported the plan along with school board members Whitney Lanning and Rick Gehring. But that wasn’t enough. Board members Kenny Reeder, Kim Miller, Isaura Garcia, and David Foster voted against.
While Williams, the board president, voted for the proposal brought to the board by Superintendent Gabe Edgar, Reeder, the vice president, voted against.
Reeder denied he was bowing to political pressure in the midst of a re-election campaign, stating he voted against, because taxpayers oppose the move.
“Every campaign I’ve ran, there’s three things I always run on: taxpayers, early childhood (education), and teacher’s salaries,” Reeder said. “My first responsibility is to the taxpayer.”
Reeder stated a vast majority of St. Joseph taxpayers opposed the plan, along with business and industry.
“So, I’m for the taxpayers,” Reeder stated. “I’ve always been about the taxpayers on everything I do.”
As for Lanning, who made an impassioned speech in favor of the proposal just before vote, she expressed resignation about the outcome.
“It’s disappointing, but if that is how we’re going to move forward, hopefully we can find other strategies to recruit and retain staff,” Lanning stated afterward.
School board members voted after earlier hearing from about two dozen people during a public comment period. While families expressed concern about child care, a disruption of family schedules, and missed meals, teachers displayed strong support for the plan.
Superintendent Gabe Edgar brought the proposal before the board, arguing that the district was at a crossroads and needed the shortened week to attract quality teachers. Edgar stated the administration had taken the extra burden of child care and worries about missed meals into account, pledging to take the steps necessary to not disrupt family lives.
Still, a split St. Joseph School Board narrowly defeated the proposal.
Williams said the board missed an opportunity.
“And I don’t want anybody to misunderstand. Our teachers are amazing, but our teachers are struggling,” according to Williams. “And, our teachers are begging us for help and I am heartbroken because we ignored them today.”
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