METALINE, Wash. – Selkirk School District leaders said the new four day school weeks have resulted in a lot of positive change.
Superintendent Nancy Lotze proposed the change to attract teachers to the rural district. District leaders said the teacher shortage hit them especially hard with a fourth grade opening going unfilled for six months and a special education opening going unfilled for two years. For the 2017-2018 school year, the district was able to hire a special education teacher, a science teacher, an English teacher, a first grade teacher and a music teacher. District leaders said these teachers came from as far away as Oregon, Nebraska and Wyoming.
Students are still adjusting to the change in the scheduled. District leaders said the only complaint at the secondary level has been that some students are hungry before lunch. The Associated Student Body voted to help keep the halls clean so a ‘no eating in the hall’ rule can be suspended. School leaders hope that more students will participate in breakfast break.
They said so far, there have been no complaints from teachers or parents about the four day weeks.
