Survey on modified HPS schedule to go out to the public soon

Havre Public Schools will be sending out a survey later this week to gauge public support of a modified four-day school schedule, which is being considered as a proposal for the next school year.

Havre Public Schools Calendar Committee Chair Brad Moore, also assistant superintendent in the school district, said this potential change was made possible by legislation passed years ago that altered the requirements for the amount of learning time schools had to provide to be measured in hours, rather than days.

But modifications made to school schedules during the pandemic also played a role in the committee considering this change.

“With the changes and modifications schools had to make during the pandemic to continue with student learning, there was a realization that a school could possibly better meet the needs of the students in something different than a traditional five-day-a-week structure,” a statement from the district said.

Members of the committee met Monday evening to discuss the community survey, how to word and order questions, distribution methods and what information to request from respondents about their role in the community such as business owner or community member.

It was decided that because physical surveys haven’t had the best track record for participation that they would opt for an online survey with physical copies available for people who need them or prefer to respond that way.

It was also decided that the survey would remain open for a week.

They also discussed an alternate version for students, which members agreed was a good idea, given how they would be affected by a potential change like this.

Many schools in the state and country have moved to four-day schedules or something similar, and the idea has become increasingly popular in recent years.

The committee discussed a few different models that could be used for HPS, including ones that would effectively cut out all Fridays while extending the the school day Monday through Thursday, and possibly extend the length of the school year to reach adequate hours of learning time, as well as a version that cuts out all except the first Friday of each month.

Committee member Sunnyside Intermediate School Principal Pax Haslem expressed the most concern about the idea, saying that eliminating Friday’s substantially lengthens schools days, especially if the year isn’t extended and those days can end up being very long for younger students.

When asked about his experience with modified schedules in other districts, Moore said it did seem to increase enrollment, though he did say there were other draws as well.

The idea of holding town hall-style meetings for community members and staff to speak with administrators, board members and teachers from schools with modified schedules, also gained support among the committee members who agreed that it would be a good opportunity to help people become more informed about what this change would mean.

No decision was made regarding which model to use, as the process for proposing this change is still in its early stages, but the committee agreed, at the suggestion of Haslem, to add more meetings to their schedule to try to get a jump on what is sure to be an involved process.

The next meeting of the committee will be Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. at the Robbins Administration Building, after the community survey closes.

The release invited people to visit the district’s website at http://www.blueponyk12.com .