Lakeland places four-day school week on back burner

RATHDRUM — A four-day school week is not a top priority for the Lakeland Joint School District at this time.

Despite a recent survey that returned results showing many parents are in favor of making the change, trustees of the Lakeland School Board agreed during Wednesday's meeting that the potentially divisive issue can wait.

"I'm shocked," Zone 1 Trustee Randi Bain said, adding that she recalled prior survey results showing a 50-50 yes-no split. 

Superintendent Lisa Arnold clarified the last survey yielded results that were 65% in favor and 35% opposed due to how survey questions were framed.

"That was when we were hearing from the state that they were thinking about if we went to a four-day week that we weren't going to get our facility money, so it was, 'Are you in favor?' or 'Are you in favor as long as we don't lose money?'" Arnold said.

In the most recent survey, Arnold and staff received 1,845 responses, 1,237 of which were in favor of a four-day school week.

During a previous meeting, Zone 5 Trustee Bob Jones said he suspected results from the past survey were weighted in favor of a four-day school week by responses that appeared to be from parents but were actually from students.

"Do we have a concern that that's the case this time?" Chair Michelle Thompson asked. 

Arnold said the newest survey was specifically for parents and included instructions to not to share the link or post it on social media. 

"Because the numbers aren't inflated, I'm not concerned with people who shouldn't be participating at this point," she said. 

Arnold said principals throughout the district would conduct informal surveys to gather staff input.

“We are getting later in the school year," Arnold said. “We need to make some decisions as far as what we're going to do about this so that parents can start making some plans.”

Jones said with all due respect, he didn't know why this conversation was even on the table at this juncture.

"It's a polarizing issue," he said. "We should be laser-focused on getting this (levy) election passed. Now we have another divisive issue that's lying out there in front of the public to take sides on and use as an excuse to vote yes or no on the levy. I just think that it's wrong strategically to be out there with that kind of information at this point in time."

The district will run a $7.52 million-per-year, two-year levy election May 20 following the failure of a $9.52 million-per-year, two-year supplemental levy in November. A four-day school week had been considered as an option to save money. 

Arnold said if this issue can be placed on the back burner, the board most likely couldn't return to it as a discussion until the following school year.

"I just know going into next year, even with the levy passing, we have to continue to look for ways to cut costs," she said.

Thompson said she didn't think it would be inappropriate to consider what would be required for a four-day school week, "but making it be a priority at this point in time is probably not advantageous for us as a district."

Regarding the levy, the board unanimously approved the levy's draft resolution with a couple minor tweaks to formatting. Trustees Ramona Grissom and Dave Quimby were absent from the meeting.

The next board meeting will be at 6 p.m. March 5.