The Broken Arrow Board of Education is listening to parents and school leaders as they contemplate a 4-day school week for the district.
A recent survey shows the results are split.
About 46% of people surveyed don’t want a 4-day week. 54% say they’d like to see it.
“I am strongly opposed to it,” said Broken Arrow mom Chyenne Milligan.
“I think it’s great,” said Broken Arrow mom Cynthia Yarberry.
Cynthia Yarberry and Cheyenne Milligan both have students in Broken Arrow schools but have different ideas about the possibility of a 4-day school week.
“I’ve been a single parent,” said Yarberry. “I know that it’s harder to find care during the week, but I think as far as from a parent standpoint being able to spend more time with your kids being able to have that one-on-one face time is more important.”
Yarberry is one of about 54% of people surveyed who agree or strongly agree with moving to a 4-day week.
Milligan is concerned about childcare, fewer hours in the classroom and what’s best for her son.
“I think the biggest impact would be my son’s regulation,” said Milligan. “He is a special needs student, so he needs that one-on-one time, and it helps him to have a routine and that’s throwing his routine way off.”
The district says this conversation isn’t about money but staffing issues and mental health concerns.
The district says the teacher candidate pool is shrinking, and this may help recruit and retain teachers.
Do you have something you think Naomi Keitt should look into?
You can email her at Naomi.Keitt@kjrh.com.
They say in 2023, the state of Oklahoma graduated just 700 education students. Broken Arrow alone hires about 100 people a year. The district says this move could help create an atmosphere where people want to work there.
They also say employees are using more mental health resources, and student behavioral issues are growing.
They’re exploring if this idea could provide better mental health outcomes for students and staff.
“I think for time with your kids, if you can swing it, it makes sense,” said Yarberry.
“I feel like there are other solutions besides taking kids out of the classroom,” said Milligan.
More than 7,500 people participated in the survey. 75% of people who took the survey are parents. They also heard from employees and community members.
The district plans to do at least one more survey before the board makes a final decision in 2025.
According to the Oklahoma Education Journalnearly 900 districts in the nation have four-days a week for school. The number of schools going four-days have risen. In the past four years, there has been a 35% increase in schools going four days a week.
In Oklahoma small, rural schools like Jennings, Roff, Stonewall and Glencoe go to school four-days a week.
On November 11, the board will listen to survey results, hear from the superintendent about the process and non-negotiables, and hear from subcommittee groups about potential challenges and opportunities.
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