East Sac calendar proposals split 4- and 5-day weeks

Two 2014-15 school year calendar proposal drafts sent to the East Sac Community Schools board of education on Monday for review show the use of both four- and five-day weeks for next year. The two weeks also show either a 15- or 30-minute extension to the school day.

The East Sac school district had been examining the possibility of moving completely to a four-day school week for next year with the school day extended by an hour. The goal was to cut back on the early dismissals and late starts in order to give teachers and students uninterrupted time in the classroom rather than this year's series of shortened periods due to professional development meetings the teachers are required to attend,explained Kerri Eichhorn, high school special-education teacher and member of the calendar committee.

This committee, comprised of teachers from all four of the district's buildings, held two public meetings in January to seek community feedback.

At the second meeting, superintendent Kevin Fiene announced that there were valid concerns regarding the move to a four-day week, including procurement of child care, effects on extracurricular programs and food for children receiving free and reduced-price lunches, and that the district would not be implementing a full move to a four-day week next year. However, the committee would continue to study the idea for the future, and would likely incorporate some four-day weeks into the 2014-15 calendar, he added.

The two drafts reflect this inclusion, with roughly half of the school weeks being four days