Beginning next school year, students will be released from class early one day a week to provide more time for teacher training.

School officials are asking parents to vote on which day they prefer children be excused from class - Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Parents can vote on the school district's Web site at www.churchill.k12.nv.us.

Minutes will be added to the other four school days so students are not losing instructional time, said Superintendent Carolyn Ross.

"This is our third year looking at it to figure out how can we not reduce the number of instructional minutes but provide professional development to get the student achievement we need ... We've got to get more time."

On the day ultimately selected, children will be released from class between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Teachers will remain at school for training until at least 3:30 p.m., as required in their contracts with the district.

Currently, teachers receive training after school hours, including Friday evenings and Saturdays. Ross said that does not allow enough time for necessary training.

"We need to give them, based on our data, what our kids need," Ross said. "I see no indication we're going to reduce the requirements for professional development."

Data collected in the district is so precise it can pinpoint the specific school and teacher who needs training in a certain area. Student test scores reveal statistics to meet the mandates of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, which requires all students to be proficient in core subject areas by the 2013-14 school year.

One idea being explored was starting each school day a little later to give teachers time for training in the morning. Ross said parents were opposed to that proposal because they needed to get children at school before the work day started.

Ross said she understands that the new schedule will be a hardship for some parents, especially those who work full-time.

"The community would absorb the costs, but the delivery of instruction would improve so it would be worth it," she said. "We need to make people aware now and fully inform the board. I know the board will want to do what's best for the community."



Parents concerned

Jennifer Rohring and her husband have six children ranging from 5 to 17 years old. She is able to use the older children to care for the younger ones when they are home from school.

Rohring said a few years ago, when she was a single mother, the new schedule would have been a burden.

"Day care costs money and most single mothers don't have money," she said. "It's very expensive."

A good day care facility charges $100 to $120 a week, she said.

Clara Molina was at Northside Elementary School on Thursday picking up her 10-year-old son. She said if the new schedule is implemented next year, her child will be home alone when she works.

"He's going to be unsupervised for two hours, and there's not going to be an adult available for him to make sure he's doing good," she said. "I'm a very, very protective mother and my child comes first, but there are many parents who can't choose because if they can't work the child won't eat. This is shocking for me."

Molina said if the plan improves education, it might be worth it.

"I don't know how that is going to impact the academic progress of the kids. If it's going to affect positively on their education, I approve that change."

William Woods believes children are out of school too much as it is. He favors longer school days, not shorter ones.

"To me it's no concern, but to a lot of other parents, they work and can't take off because of the extra expense," Woods said. "There are too many vacations and teacher days now. I would like to see them out at 3 (p.m.) or later."

He said if school days were longer, students could get assignments done that are sent home as homework.

Bob Morrison is retired. He was at Northside picking up his sixth grader last week. If children are let out early one day a week, it wouldn't apply to him.

"But you'll have kids stuck at home with nobody there," Morrison said about families with two working parents.