SLEEPY EYE - A pair of Belgrade Brooten Elrosa (BBE) school district administrators talked about how they converted to a four-day school week this school year at a public forum in the Sleepy Eye Public School cafeteria Wednesday.
Superintendent Matt Bullard and Elementary Principal and Activities Director Rick Gossen, who taught and coached football in Sleepy Eye six years ago, said BBE expected so many daycare issues with the change they created a school-based daycare but nobody was interested in using it.
This fall, the district converted to a four-day week to avoid cutting electives. Administrators sounded pleased with the results.
"My teachers say they like the longer day and are further along in their curriculum than they were on the same date in the past," Gossen said.
"We have one less school day a week, but more class time and less time doing things like eating, riding buses to and from school and getting ready to come and go," Gossen said.
A mother complained about how difficult it was to find daycare in Sleepy Eye.
"We called all of [day cares], and most were full and had very little extra space, and only on certain days," she said.
Bullard said he had similar concerns in BBE. People found a way to work around the issue with family and friends providing daycare, children spending more time with the family and students working part-time.
Sleepy Eye Supt. John Cselovszki said some people say saving $80,000 a year with a four-day week is a Band-Aid approach to the district's finance issues.
"At $80,000 a year, it's a pretty big Band-Aid that adds up each year," he said.
Board Chairperson Ron Geiger said if the board approves applying for a four-day school week next month, it could be stopped by board vote at any time. However, most schools that went to a four-day week stick to it.
Geiger said Sleepy Eye schools are so energy efficient, only $3,500 would be saved annually on utilities with a four-day week. The school could remain open for activities with the heat and lights on Mondays, depending on how the board may create a four-day week application to the Minnesota Department of Education.
A final forum on the issue is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30 in the school cafeteria.
(Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).