Story at a glance
- The Jasper Independent School District announced the changes last month after the school board voted unanimously on the shortened week and to offer $3,000 retention bonuses to teachers and $1,500 to staff.
- Jasper ISD’s board decisions were based in part on a collection of community and staff surveys, which gauged interest in the 4-day school week.
- Funding will be drawn from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) grants, which are part of the federal CARES Act.
A Texas school district is shifting to a four-day week for the upcoming school year and providing financial incentives to teachers and other staff amid a nationwide shortage.
The Jasper Independent School District announced the changes last month after the school board voted unanimously on the shortened week and to offer $3,000 retention bonuses to teachers and $1,500 to staff — each to be paid in three installments. Funding will be drawn from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) grants, which are part of the federal CARES Act.
Jasper ISD’s board decisions were based in part on a collection of community and staff surveys, which gauged interest in the 4-day school week.
Yet, the new format would not officially begin until mid-October, according to the district’s calendar, and teachers would use Fridays as professional development days.
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District Superintendent John Seybold told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ the updated model was prompted by long-term teacher burnout that was made “more and more of an issue” by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The four-day week kind of makes it a little more manageable for them because there’s so much pressure placed on our teachers,” Seybold told the network.
“As a school district, ultimately the best thing we can do for kids is put the best possible teacher in front of them every day,” he added.
Seybold said the district’s updates have aided it in filling vacancies, noting they are getting multiple applications for every opening.
Jasper ISD joins other Texas districts that have adopted similar measures, including Devers ISD and Athens ISD. Several states have also implemented similar weekly scheduling changes.
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