By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A close vote and a tough vote to take for St. Joseph School Superintendent Gabe Edgar and the teachers’ groups that supported a shift to a four-day school week.
The St. Joseph School Board rejected the proposal on a three-to-four vote Monday.
Despite the loss, Edgar sees some benefit to the packed school board meeting room and widespread discussion of the issue.
“At least the community understands now, I think. I mean there’s a lot of attention that was given to this. We kind of are at a crossroads and we’re going to have to make some decisions,” Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, I hope the board regroups and comes back with something in regards to Proposition C waiver and a levy for the teachers in August. I know that’s not going to help us for 24-25 (2024-2025 school year), but it would be something that would be good for 25-26.”
Edgar doesn’t necessarily believe the issue is dead. He says the board could again debate a four-day school week in the future.
“I thought it was important, because, and I’ve said this all along, it was a recruitment and retention deal,” Edgar says of his proposal, which he says he proposed as a way to make a positive change.
“I tell my people all the time, every Monday morning we have a meeting at eight o’clock, and we’re not going to sit around and talk and do nothing. We’re going to take chances,” Edgar says. “And this was a chance and it failed and, you know what, we’ll get back up, go right back to the drawing board, and see what else we can come up with.”
The vote against the plan Monday evening came after a deeply divided school board debated whether the benefit to teachers by switching to a four-day school week would offset opposition from the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and industry. Several parents also spoke out against the plan during a 90-minute public comment period, saying it would disrupt family life and leave children from poor families without school breakfast and lunch.
Edgar attempted to answer those concerns prior to the vote, saying the district had taken that into account and would provide meals and even various enhanced academic activities during the off day.
Both St. Joseph teachers’ groups supported the proposal.
St. Joseph NEA President Lynnea Wootten says a member survey showed nearly 65.7% support for the change. Still, she expects her members to respond positively.
“Teachers are resilient. We have to be,” Wootten tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “This is definitely a blow to morale.”
Wootten says St. Joseph teachers need to see in wake of the defeat action to demonstrate the community backs them.
“It’s rough, but teachers are resilient, we’ll bounce back, because we have to be on for our kids tomorrow at 7am when they walk through our doors,” Wootten says.
The St. Joseph MSTA reported that almost 70.9% of its members supported the move to a four-day school week.
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