HOUSTON – Crosby Independent School District’s school board members approved a four-day week for the 2023-2024 school year in a 4-3 vote Monday night.
The superintendent said the idea for a shorter school week is due to the national teacher shortage, also claiming that it is getting worse for the growing district.
According to Crosby ISD officials, the change will also create slightly longer days to compensate for the missed time. Under the four-day week, students will have Fridays off from September to mid-April and teachers would be required to work one Friday a month during that specified time for staff development.
Crosby ISD superintendent, Paula Patterson, said the four-day week would help them attract and retain teachers. She noted that salaries would stay the same.
“Our ‘why’ is simple and straightforward. We want to find, recruit and retain the best teachers in the state in the classrooms for our students. This change immediately makes Crosby ISD a top destination for educators in Harris County,” Patterson said. “Our move will attract even more exceptional teachers for our students, leading to high-quality academic outcomes. We also believe this move will increase our recruitment of bus drivers, who are vital in getting our students to and from school safely and on time.”
According to the district, there were 40 teacher vacancies at the start of this year.
There were some intense moments when administrators, teachers, and parents in Crosby ISD met on Feb. 15 to discuss the possibility of reducing their school week.
Many parents expressed their concerns, specifically about childcare and too much free time for teenagers.
“Are we really considering the impact it’s going to have on our kids? With my kid being home one day extra a week, we’re not going to be there,” said parent Toni Handley.
“There’s more planning time, plus if we can attract more teachers to the district, then we have more teachers, which means less large class sizes,” said Amy Law, another parent.
New Waverly Independent School District approved the four-day week last week, hoping it will attract more teachers. The students will have Fridays off. The district said it will add days to the beginning of the year and days will be longer.
According to a survey, 77% of parents and 91% of staff members approved.
“In my personal view, the four-day calendar recommendation from Mrs. Patterson and her administration was a bold, strategic move that evolved after much deliberation with her team as well as with feedback from the staff, the students, and the community at large,” said Crosby ISD Board of Trustees President J.R. Humphries. “I believe the academic considerations, the community implications, and the staff impact were all meticulously examined, and I was impressed with the forthright, abundant information that was made available to the community throughout this process. While I know some community members are uncomfortable with this decision, I’m looking forward to this next step for the district to retain and recruit the best educators in the state for our kids. I truly believe Crosby ISD and the Crosby-Barrett Station community will be even stronger moving forward with this decision.”