A state senator’s quest to prevent additional school districts from adopting four-day school weeks advances to the House. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell’s bill passed the State Senate on a vote of 35-1, with Eddie Lambert of Gonzales casting the lone “no” vote. Mizell says she filed a bill last year mandating a five-day school week; at that time, there were six districts with four-day weeks.
“I pulled the bill because some of you guys didn’t like the idea of forcing a five-day school week. Since that time, we now have 17 school districts with four-day school weeks,” Mizell said.
Mizell says four-day school weeks create logistical problems, including in her own district.
“The school district in my senatorial district has 90% child poverty with a four-day school week. Those kids go home on Friday with nothing to eat,” Mizell said.
Mizell says she’s also concerned about the effects a four-day school week will have on academic achievement, especially with the state showing tremendous improvement in recent years.
“Why are we taking our foot off the pedal? Why do we think ‘Oh, we’re doing so well; we’re just going to go to school four days a week now?’ We know kids don’t learn as well at 4 o’clock in the afternoon as they do in the first half of their day,” Mizell noted.
There are exceptions in Mizell’s bill – districts with a performance score of “A” from the Department of Education will be allowed to pursue a four-day week if they choose to, and those already on four-day weeks can continue with that arrangement.
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