Say what?

[LarryG]

I don't know if this is true, so maybe I shouldn't comment, but there is always a spark of truth to some rumours. Warren county is mulling the idea of a 4 day school week to save fuel. If this is logic, its fuzzy math. adding the hours to the normal school day, will not add up to a 20% saving.Some kids now start an hour early to get the bus, a long day like that is not good for younger kids. There will be a burn out factor involved here. I'm new to this school bus idea, living in a city, my kids walked to school, two blocks to the parocial school, and one mile to high school. I have not had a kid in any kind of education for over 30 years,and I know we need to support public education, but where is the money going to come from?

[DJD]

I have heard of this before and it might have been tried in Eastern KY but failed. Oh wait, maybe I'm thinking of the year round school year? Heck I don't see the big deal if they did it look at the benefits.
Schools have become a daycare of sorts anyway so let them stay longer...parents can work longer and make more money as well. "snicker"

[LarryG]

That would probably be the straw that broke the camels back for a lot of teachers.My sister in law would probably take an early pension, and I think my son would quit that profession entirely.

[jcb]

That would probably be the straw that broke the camels back for a lot of teachers.My sister in law would probably take an early pension, and I think my son would quit that profession entirely.

On the other hand, I have heard nothing but positive feedback from teachers in Webster County, where they've done it for a while now.

[Col Forbin]

Actually several school districts are considering this, especially the more rural areas. Webster county has done this successfully for several years. The benefits are definitely observable. The daily extra time is right at an hour. The state defines a school day in terms of hours of instructional time - not time including lunches and transitional times. Fuel costs of bus routes is a huge savings. Attendance issues of students are all but eliminated (attendance generates revenue - the more the better). The longer class periods per subject are alos a huge benefit if utilized appropriately. Basically, I would love it if my school went to that plan - more days fishing for me!

[Bobby Headrick]

I also saw on the news the other day that Nashville schools and other states are looking at this idea due to gas, and also heard that several company's are already doing this so that employees can save on gas. I wish the state would do this. I would rather work 4 10's and be off an extra day so I can do my honey do's and still be able to go fishing some. however the gas is hurting my fishing as I live far from the better lakes in Ky. GAS GAS GAS I am sick of GAS runing my fishing. lol lol lol

[Cobra190]

One factor that may weigh in on this as districts look to make this change will be the bus drivers. With the exception of a few who get to run a mid day run, most work a split shift. They come in, make their run and then eitjher leave or hang around till it's time to make their afternoon run and do not get paid for any time in between. The runs or time it takes to run them will not increase which would actually cost each driver a day of pay unless they are given a raise to compensate, which is very unlikely. And in most counties it is hard to keep a full staff of bus drivers to start with.

[LarryG]

Talking to my son, he said it was OK with him, talking to my grand daughter , she hates it! But would it save us money? I dont care either way,but the added hours, will give the kids another day off, so the parents that use school as a baby sitter, will need to dseal with it. Wonder how many extra events will now be scheduled for that day off, where school buses will be needed, is that a catch 22?

[Col Forbin]

Talking to my son, he said it was OK with him, talking to my grand daughter , she hates it! But would it save us money? I dont care either way,but the added hours, will give the kids another day off, so the parents that use school as a baby sitter, will need to dseal with it. Wonder how many extra events will now be scheduled for that day off, where school buses will be needed, is that a catch 22?

After school trips, especially sports (excluding the two biggies b-ball and football which can exist on booster monies) have been cut tremedously in terms of travel funds. Each sport once had schedule give to them of conference play that they were required to participate, then the coaches would add another few non-conference "experience building" games in. Those have all but been eliminated - unless parents provide the transportation as they do with some of the smaller sports here; soccer, swimming, softball, even baseball to an extent. It is far more difficult to request transportation than it was 8 years ago when I started. Back then you turned a form in - as long as it was school related and your principal ok'ed it that was it. Now there is a huge process involved with it, that it is much easier to pursue alternate resources.

All of this is not a result of higher gas prices. The current state legislation shredded the proposed educational budget. They are allowing far below the suggested, and even reccomended budget ammount in all deminsions of public education. Districts are now being required to be much more innovative and creative to stretch a very tight budget and maintain a high quality of education. Public education has reached almost crisis level in terms of financially being able to support the programs that ensure success, or even programs that the federal government mandates.

[DJD]

Kevin,
Do you think the educational budget was given a fair shake or was Beshear palying games and wanting to pull the casino saviour out of a hat just to fund the shortcomings? How was it with Fletcher in charge?

[Col Forbin]

It has been on a slow downhill slide since I started in 2000. It really started getting bad financially a couple of years ago. I really think Fletcher did a poor job mismanaging state funds. However, I don't think that Beshear is doing any better - maybe he will. I do think his casino agenda pushed alot of other issues to the backburner. I don't know how much impact Beshear had on the current legislations education budget. Some of things being cut are sad. I know my program (special education of students with moderate to severe disabilities) is recieving NO money from the state level for our assessmet. This is a federally mandated program so we get some revenue from federal sources. So in order to do state required assessments, I have to used money that was generated for student educational supplies and materials from the federal level. So instead of using that money as it was intended (physical therapy equipment, communication devices, or maybe even some adapted text books or vocational training) I have to spend that money on materials to do state required assessments - which is a year long process.


As you look deeper in the issue, a great deal of the budget restraints stem from Bush's No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB doubled each state's accountability requirements that they must assess and document, without increasing federal education revenue. Each district is forced to document, assess, and provide programs outlined under NCLB with essentially the same ammount of money they had to slimmly operate on prior to the plan. We are required to do more than ever, with the same money. Add in the rising costs of operating a school - we are now required to do more than ever, with less money than we started with. Also, there are no bonuses for districts exceeding or meeting the NCLB requirements, only negative financial consequences for districts (usually your lower income districts anyway) that are struggling to meet the requirements.

Sorry for the educational rant. I guess Moose will be impressed with it's length.

[DJD]

Man, I know the Educational Budget is tough and from talking with other teachers they echo your statements. I don't know how alot of the funding worked before the Bush plan much less after but my uneducated opinion is that it's an example of what happens when the Federal guy's control an organization. Did any politician consider the REAL needs of the REAL disabled? (Sure there is ADA but we are not talking about that). To many people work the system and that hurts the good people (disabled or not) and in simple terms that's why I'm against more gov. control. All sounds good but once a precedent is set...it's over they gotcha!
Keep up the good work!