Underwood school exploring modified school year options
Underwood Public School is exploring ideas for a modified school year calendar to hopefully put into place for the 2026-27 school year.
During the school’s Nov. 25 school board meeting, Underwood Superintendent Todd Benson updated the board of education on meetings and discussions taking place around adopting a modified school year calendar.
“Rather than a four-day week, the staff are moving in a direction that would add additional days off but keep a reserve of instructional hours to ensure we are in excess of the (Department of Instruction) requirements,” the meeting minutes stated.
Benson told the Central McLean News-Journal during negotiations last year, the school committed to looking at a modified school year calendar. Discussions began in October.
“We started with staff surveys that led us away from the four-day week because of the drastic decrease in instructional hours to the minimum required by DPI,” Benson said. “We thought this was too risky and did not provide any breathing room so we looked at something more modified that added five Flex Work Days to the calendar.”
Benson went on to say the flex days would be added to teacher’s contracts and could serve many purposes.
“This also would keep our student instructional hours higher than a four-day week,” Benson said. “We have not finalized anything but are hoping to do so by the January board meeting.”