Neillsville District Administrator Talks 180 Days Bill, Part 3
Monday, March 31st, 2014 -- 9:16 AM
-A bill awaiting Governor Scott Walker?s signature would give school districts more flexibility on the number of days required for face-to-face teaching.Neillsville District Administrator John Gaier said, as far as he knows, most administrators are for more flexibility regarding the school calendar.
John said, "Of all of the superintendents that I've talked to, all of them are for more flexibility under current mandate. So, the vast majority are for this bill being signed by the governor and giving us some flexibility on how we use or time and how we schedule our school years."
Another advantage of this bill would be the potential cuts in costs that a school district faces on a day-to-day basis.
John continued, "If we don't have to operate the full 180 days, for instance, there have been a number of districts that have thought about going to 4 day weeks. That could potentially be a cost savings because you don't have to run buses as many days as you would under the 180 days requirement. You wouldn't have to bring in a number of support staff, folks like food service and those types of things. It could allow you more time for professional development for your teaching staff."
If Governor Walker signs the bill before this school year?s end or the beginning of the next year, changes could be made to Neillsville?s, and all school districts, calendar.
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