Havre school calendar on Thursday agenda

Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Havre Middle School the Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees is set to yet again discuss, and possibly vote for, the coming year’s calendar, including the possibility of moving to a four-day week.

Teachers in the district have been pushing the district for more than a year to go to a four-day week with extended class periods, saying it will significantly improve their quality of life, quality of work and the schools as a whole.

A staff survey conducted last year showed over 90 percent support for moving to a four-day week, and a larger community survey saw over 73 percent approval.

Right now, the district has some Fridays off, with students who feel they need more help able to come in for extra instruction, something both the Havre Education Association and the board seem to agree has been a significant success.

The board was initially going to discuss and possibly vote on a calendar at a meeting a few weeks ago, but the four calendars that were initially being proposed were all thrown out with little explanation, to be replaced last week by new calendars.

This decision was apparently made without the union, Havre Education Association, being warned or consulted, and its president, Jess Jones, a teacher at Havre High School, requested that, in light of this development and lack of communication, the board delay taking a vote on the matter until after the school board election May 2.

Board Chair Curtis Smeby said the four calendars were thrown out because he wanted to see simpler options.

Monday, Jones said the union has been very disappointed at how this issue has been handled considering how much work and discussion on the part of the board and union was made worthless after the original four calendars were thrown out.

She hopes the board honors HEA’s request to postpone the vote, which HPS Interim-Superintendent Brad Moore told her he would recommend to the board at the next meeting, where it is scheduled as an action item.

“We’re hoping for some changes with this next election,” she said.

The four calendars being considered are posted on the Havre Public Schools website at https://www.blueponyk12.com .

One of the options being considered is a basically standard five-day school week.

The first of the calendars, submitted for consideration by the HEA, is a four-day week schedule with 14 Support Fridays, in which students who need extra help can come in for assistance, throughout the year.

Class periods would be 57 minutes each, with classes running from 8 a.m. to 3:44 p.m. with Support Fridays running from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. while offering a breakfast and lunch to students who need it.

The second calendar, also proposed by HEA, is a hybrid schedule with a five-day week from August through February, but with Fridays off from March through May.

Class periods would be 55 minutes each with the day running from 8 a.m. to 3:29 p.m. and no support Fridays.

The third calendar is almost identical to the second, but with Fridays off from January through March, and the fourth is a traditional 5-day schedule.

Jones said Monday that anything but a 5-day week would be a step up but they particularly like the first, since it addresses some of the concerns expressed by the board last year when they voted down the four-day week, specifically that the school would not be able to provide a meal or child supervision on Fridays.