DRIGGS, Idaho — The newly elected 2024 Teton School Board (Idaho) discussed the 2023 school board decision to implement a four-day school week.
The school board’s meeting on Monday, Jan. 8 did not include the four-day school week on the meeting’s agenda but due to the inclusion of resident letters mailed to the school district, board member Kathleen Haar said during the meeting that the topic had to be included on the agenda by law. The board moved to add the discussion to the agenda and could only talk about the calendar change, not offer up a formal vote on the topic.
Board Chair Martin Balben told Buckrail via email that there is no plan on the upcoming school board agenda for a new vote on the four-day school week implementation. According to Balben, new board members Shannon Brooks-Hamby, Michael Adams, Alexie Hulme and Diane Temple as well as re-elected board members Ray Hinchcliff and Kathleen Haar, all voiced questions and raised some well-considered concerns even if there were differing opinions.
According to Jessica Ginter, a parent with children enrolled in the Teton School District, many community members would like more time to evaluate and discuss the shorter weekly school schedule.
“I am dismayed by the hasty process by which the vote to a four-day school week was made last month,” Ginter wrote in a letter to the school district. “I understand some board members in favor of the decision were about to end their term. Why not seize the opportunity to walk the new board members as well as the rest of the community through a decision that will affect our entire community? Added time, a re-energized Board, a more thorough investigation of problems and consideration of all possible solutions, including a four-day school week, would benefit all of us.”
The board continues to receive public input, and administration officials will next discuss the application of the four-day school week during the next Teton School Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 12.
“The administrative team is scheduled to present a comprehensive outline of different pathways that could be taken to ensure successful implementation of the policy in the February board meeting and we also expect to field and engage with additional continued community input surrounding the matter,” Balben said.
