Potter- Dix Looks At 4-Day Week

The area snowstorm postponed the regular school board meeting for Potter-Dix Schools from Monday until Friday, March 19. The agenda was full with regular items, but under new business/discussion items, the matter of a four-day school week created the most discussion of any item.

The school board conducted a work retreat session and the four-day school week came up in that session.

At the meeting, Superintendent Adam Patrick relayed information that he had collected from some schools that adopted the four-day school week: Wynot, Randolph, and Arthur. Some schools run on a hybrid model, while others follow a traditional four-day school week.

Patrick explained that Nebraska high school requirements are the strictest and require 1,080 hours of instructional time plus academic instructional units based on the subject. The junior high and elementary require fewer instructional hours and would have no problem meeting the state requirements.

The elementary teachers presented the school board with a list of questions/concerns/viewpoints about the four-day school week, which were addressed informally by board President Tim Maas.

The board planned on returning to the issue for future discussion.

Meanwhile, regular business items consisted of approval of a work session and February regular meeting minutes.

According to Superintendent Patrick, the monthly claims were “lower.” He said at this point in the budget year, they are at 41% of expenditures, which is “right in the ballpark,” and the “total cash balance is very good.”

Elementary students of the month receiving special recognition were Kamden Monheiser (K), Shaylen Hottell (1), Cienna Tabor (2), Abby Dana (3), Will Dana (4), Aliey LaBeau (5) and Jacob Chavez (6).

The spring activities are in full swing, while five students are out for golf, and 33 students have checked out for the track season.

The FFA raised $30,000 at their banquet, labor auction and through donations. The speech team placed sixth out of 22 teams at the recent state speech meet in Kearney.

Homework Policy 6017 underwent this revision: “Students who do not turn in assignments on the due date will be allowed to turn it in the following date by 4 pm with a 10% reduction to the grade.” The policy continued to address late grades for the remainder of the quarter.

Finally, while tabling the CJUMP Natural Gas Program’s participation item, the school board did approve the purchase of a plasma table with half the funds coming from the FFA and the other half from the general fund.