Lamar School Board Takes Up 4 Day School Week Question

Last May, the board of directors for the Lamar RE-2 school district voted to maintain a five-day school week. Only two members favored making the switch to a four-day week with the majority deciding that closing Lincoln School was enough of a change for the year.

The issue will be up for discussion and perhaps a vote during tonight’s school board meeting, March 19, beginning at 6:30pm. RE-2 School Superintendent David Tecklenburg said the decision to drop a day from the week will be 100% financially driven. “We are going to have to make adjustments to ongoing budget cuts, similar to the decision to close Lincoln School,” he explained. Tecklenburg added, there may not be a vote taken, but the board members want to discuss the matter and how it will affect all walks of life in the school system, from the students, families, teachers, administration, sports and other school activities. He said other schools in the county have already made the changes, and Lamar will have to consider the change as well.

Other agenda items for the Monday night meeting include: elimination of a Spanish Position at the high school; elimination of a Special Ed Position at the middle school; elimination of the Academic Advisor Positions at the middle and high schools, approval of several travel study trip requests ; accepting the resignations of Amy Montgomery as district executive secretary and Jadell Thomas, high school teacher for later this year; approve contracts for principals of the high school and Washington elementary schools and assistant principal of the high school, as well as hear the Superintendent’s report.

By Russ Baldwin