School District #1 continues four-day week discussion

Board reviews survey data as calendar debate moves forward

The Big Horn County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees continued its discussion of a potential four-day school week last Thursday, reviewing staff survey data while also approving routine business, recognizing staff and students and considering student travel requests.

The proposal to move to a four-day week would not take effect until the 2027–28 school year, and remains in the research and feedback stage. Board members emphasized that no decision has been made and that additional input, particularly from parents, will be critical moving forward.

Discussion centered on staff survey results, which showed general support for a shortened week, though trustees cautioned that responses should be weighed carefully.

“I think we should focus more on the student achievement side,” trustee Wendy Fuller said, noting that schedule preferences may not reflect academic impact.

Board members also reviewed research on four-day weeks, particularly in rural districts. While some studies suggest minimal academic impact, trustees said the findings are not conclusive.

“There’s no proof that it improves learning,” board chairman Jared Boardman said. “There are other benefits, but probably not academic gains.”

Staff survey data reflected that 80 percent of employees were strongly or somewhat supportive of a four-day week. The most common concerns included food access for some students, reduced hours for certain employees and childcare challenges for families. About 40 percent expressed concern about longer instructional days. 

When asked about academic impact, 52.6 percent said learning would stay about the same, 23.7 percent said it would improve and about 6 percent said it would decline. Overall, 77.7 percent said they would support trying a four-day schedule, 19.7 percent said maybe and 2.6 percent said no.

Concerns discussed by the board included longer school days, childcare challenges and the impact on special education services.

“One of the biggest factors is time to learn,” special education director Wes Townsend said. “That gap in learning, especially for students with disabilities, is a concern.”

Trustees also discussed logistics, including athletics schedules, teacher workload and how Fridays might be used. Some noted that previous optional Friday support days resulted in high attendance but limited structured instruction.

Board members asked that the upcoming parent survey clearly explain what a four-day week would look like, including longer days, later practices and possible calendar adjustments.

“I still feel like there’s confusion,” one trustee said. “It’s not just what we have now, minus Fridays.”

The board expects to review parent feedback in the coming months.

Students request national travel support

The board heard a presentation from FBLA students who qualified for national competition and requested funding and permission to travel.

The group plans to take nine students and two advisors, with costs estimated at about $1,500 per participant. Students highlighted the benefits of national competition, including higher-level experience, networking and exposure to college and career opportunities.

The board also discussed a request involving a student qualifying for a national speech and debate event, focusing on district policy requiring multiple adult supervisors and whether exceptions should be considered in single-student situations.

In addition, Burlington FCCLA students requested assistance to attend the National FCCLA Conference in San Antonio July 6–10, seeking support for one advisor and one chaperone for six students.

All travel requests were approved, with two chaperones accompanying students.

Staff and students recognized

The meeting included recognition of student achievements across academic and extracurricular programs.

Staff members of the month were Pat Winland (Rocky Mountain Elementary), Amy Hedges (Rocky Mountain Middle/High School) and Nate Kreider (Burlington).

Each school presented Teacher of the Year nominees, including Cheryl Haslam (Burlington), Pat Winland (Rocky Mountain Elementary) and Vicki Arnold (Rocky Mountain 6–12). Administrators praised nominees for leadership, instructional skill and dedication to students. Arnold was selected as the overall District Teacher of the Year.

“These individuals represent the best of what we do,” one administrator said.

The board also received a positive report on the district’s after-school program, which recently completed state monitoring with no corrective actions required.

Budget and district updates

In other business, the board reviewed budget planning updates. Administrators said state funding changes have reduced flexibility but that the district remains financially stable.

“We’re still working through projections,” one administrator said. “We’ll have more detailed recommendations at the next meeting.”

New Employees

The board also approved several hires including Rylee Winland as assistant track coach at Rocky Mountain Middle School, Gerry Burton as head cross country coach at Rocky Mountain High School, Sally Bernhisel as counselor at Rocky Mountain Middle/High School and Robert Herren as a regular bus driver serving the Cowley and Burlington routes.