Brush setting plans for four-day weeks
Working on schedule of activities and programs to offer on Fridays
At the end of April, it was announced that the Brush School District Re-2J voted to transition into a four-day school week starting this fall for the 2022-23 year. Despite mixed reactions from parents at the March community conversation, the district ultimately saw support from the majority of staff, parents and students and agreed that the pros outweighed the cons.
A Frequently Asked Questions page (provided in both English and Spanish) along with the approved 2022-23 calendar were posted to the district’s website. On the FAQ page, it is explained that the decision to move to a four-day week aligns with the goals and priorities of the district: to “create opportunities for customized learning at all levels, use data driven review and instruction to increase student achievement (and) recruit and retain high quality teachers and staff.”
The district is, however, taking steps to address some of the community’s most common concerns, such as childcare, meals and lack of academic support.
In a video posted on the Brush School District YouTube page on Friday, April 22, Superintendent Dr. Bill Wilson said, “We’ll be seeking more input from you all as parents and families as to your student needs for that fifth day — that Friday — when we will not be having traditional school. We do plan to offer a number of services, including food service and transportation and instruction and extensions. But we’ll be surveying you in the next month or so to see what your needs are so that we can make preliminary plans heading into the summer, and then we’ll confirm those with you at registration in August prior to the school start of ‘22-’23.”
Current plans for the Fridays will include breakfast (7:25 a.m.), two sessions for instruction or activities (7:45-9:30 a.m. and 9:4511:30 a.m.) and a grab-n-go lunch (11:30 a.m.). The District is planning to keep buses operational and on their current routes. Final decisions will be solidified closer to Aug. 15, the first day of school.
For regular Monday through Thursday school days, Thomson Primary School, Beaver Valley Elementary School and the Brush Secondary Campus (BSC) will all begin the day at 7:45 a.m. Thomson and Beaver Valley will end the day at 3:20 p.m. and BSC will end the day at 3:38 p.m. These time changes add an additional 35 to 37 minutes to each school day.
Director of Community Services Lance Schwindt is in the process of surveying the public on behalf of the Brush Recreation Department to see what recreational activities, athletic or creative, hold the most interest.
The East Morgan County Library is also considering offering some programs and other opportunities on Fridays.
The district encourages the community to be on the lookout for more surveys and questionnaires, which will be used for planning in June and July. Registration dates will be Aug. 2- 5, at which time Friday activities will be confirmed for each student.
Dr. Wilson is available to address questions and concerns that are not answered on the FAQ page. He can be reached by phone at 970- 8425176, Ext. 1001 or by email at b. wilson@ brushschools. org.