Jasper ISD approves 4-day school week in sweeping changes for district

Jasper ISD Superintendent John Seybold told the Chronicle that the district's shift to an abbreviated week will not necessitate lengthening the overall school year. In 2016 Texas passed House Bill 2610, which struck down previous language from Texas laws requiring districts to provide at least 180 days of instruction. Under the new law, educators are required to provide "a minimum of 75,600 minutes" per school year, instead of the previous day-based mandate.

This distinction allows districts a measure of flexibility in creating schedules, and Jasper will not be the first in Texas to experiment with alternative school week layouts since the change.

In 2016 Olfen ISD became the first Texas school district to approve a four-day schedule. The small district near San Angelo shifted to a four-day week that reserved Fridays as an optional day, allowing students with passing grades the choice to stay home or come in for enrichment activities such as karate or pottery sculpting. The move led to Olfen's small student population increasing from 60 to over 130 students in the following years and made the system more attractive to students in larger districts, according to officials.

"The only ones not happy about this is the eighth-graders who are moving on next year," said Olfen ISD Superintendent Gabriel Zamora at the time of the change. "I know this is going to be good for our school, for the community and surrounding areas."

In 2019 Dime Box ISD in Central Texas opted to institute a four-day school week, carving out Mondays as a "flex day" for students and staff. Parents lacking childcare options are allowed to send their children to school on Monday, but the district only requires attendance Tuesday through Friday. Dime Box teacher Candi Becker said she was initially concerned about the change, but the truncated week actually sharpened the focus of students during class.

"The students realized early on that school time is business time," Becker told a reporter for the Association of Texas Professional Educators. "You have to get down to business while you're here."

Jasper ISD's shift to a four-day schedule is accompanied by monetary incentives approved by the Board of Trustees for teachers and staff. Teachers will receive three payments totaling $3,000 while other staff will receive $1,500— infusions the district hopes will keep the district staffed and competitive amid a growing national teacher shortage.

"Retaining as well as recruiting quality teachers is very important," Seybold told the Chronicle. "The Jasper ISD Board of Trustees is working hard for the entire staff of the district."