Frankston ISD going to 4-day week for 2023-24 school year

FRANKSTON, Texas (KLTV) - Another East Texas school district is moving to a four-day school week starting next year.

Frankston ISD voted on the decision this week in a 4-3 vote for the new schedule.

“We had several jobs last year that we had a hard time filling, and we knew that the teacher shortage was getting worse, so that was really the reason behind it, was strictly to retain and to attract quality teachers,” said Frankston ISD Superintendent Nicci Cook.

Conversations about the change began a year ago. They’ve allotted Monday as their off day, due to holidays falling on Mondays and to give time off to band staff and athletic coaches who work Fridays.

“This school year, we go from 7:40 a.m. to 3:30-4 p.m. So, we already have a pretty long day. We will be extending each school day about 30 minutes on every campus,” Cook said.

Courtnie Mewbourn is a kindergarten teacher and an elementary representative on the committee that helped plan how the 4-day week will work. She said she’s looking forward to the change.

“That gives me back a day to be with my family on the weekends, so I’ll probably work every single time we’re off, but I have Saturday and Sunday strictly to be with my family,” Mewbourn said.

Riley Webb teaches agricultural science. He hopes the change will help alleviate stress and provide extra time for teachers to get work done. The district also will use some Mondays as intervention days for students that need more instruction.

“On these Mondays, we can pull these kids in, take care of it then, and then when they’re at school with their friends, that’s what they’re doing then,” Webb said. “Then we’re back to our normal here’s how our day works, and we don’t have to have them pulled out for extra time.”

The committee has been on top of working out child care options for families who may need it on Mondays, as well as meal options.

“Extracurriculars will go on as normal if we were in school. If students need rides to practices or games, we already do that, so we will make sure that they’re not missing out on something,” Cook said.

Cook said they are finalizing the school year calendar now and will vote on that next month.

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