The community, specifically teachers, have asked the Humboldt County School District (HCSD) Board of Trustees to evaluate what it might look like to convert the HCSD from a five to four-day schedule.
After months of research and data analysis, meetings, and discussion, the Board moved unanimously not to allocate extra resources to pursue further steps to move to a four-day schedule at their regular meeting on Nov. 13.
The Board weighed their decision heavily on many factors, but much of their discussion at the recent meeting was based on the implication to bus schedules and classified staff, providing meals to students, extra curricular impacts, and a lack of data to support academic improvement amongst students once a switch has been made.
HCSD Transportation Coordinator Anthony Valenzuela was asked by the Board to organize a bus schedule that would accommodate a four-day week based on current instructional minutes. According to the potential schedule, the earliest pick-up time would be for students bussed to the elementary schools at 5:55 a.m. and bus drop-off time for those students would be 5:30 p.m., meaning some of the youngest students would have an almost 12 hour day (with most buses making at least four to seven stops).
Valenzuela explained that there are already many students that miss the earlier pick-up times and he would be very concerned that even more would miss the bus if the times are moved up even more.
Time spent being bussed to and from school is also mandated statutorily, according to HCSD Superintendent Dr. Dave Jensen, and the bussing time must be limited to 90 minutes but for many students —especially those bussing to and from areas like Paradise Valley — students are already right at the threshold.
Other factors, such as incentivizing bus drivers, would become increasingly difficult as hours are cut and drivers no longer meet the minimum amount in order for the district to be able to provide benefits like health insurance.
“Getting new drivers will be difficult [on a four day schedule],” said Valenzuela, “It’s already difficult now.”
Activities such as sports would also be a challenge as they would be pushed back to later times, leaving little time in the evening for homework, family time and even limiting part-time job opportunities for some students, according to the Board.
The Board also discussed that on Fridays alone the HCSD serves breakfast to 662 students and lunch to 1,446 students on average, meaning that almost half of the district’s students (approximately 3,250 total students) depend on a school lunch.
With the HCSD able to provide free lunches to all students through funding from the state, the Board did acknowledge that some of the numbers may be slightly inflated but felt that it likely is not by much.
Through discussion with community organizations such as the Winnemucca Boys & Girls Club — who provides free meals to kids in the community — it was determined that the Club would not be able to absorb that large of an uptake of students in need of meals.
Early in 2023 when Humboldt County Education Association representatives first asked the Board to consider a four day schedule they claimed that a four day week could be a major hiring incentive for new teachers as all of the districts in Nevada are suffering from staff shortages. However, Elko County, having recently converted to a four-day schedule, still has 74 vacancies (with three times the student population size of Humboldt County) despite the switch.
Humboldt County Education Association President Malinda Riemersma said at a meeting in March 2023 — when some of the discussion first started — that “The biggest reason our associations are bringing this issue before the board is simple—jobs are starting to open up for next school year. Recruiting and retaining our staff on a five-day school week while all of the other districts around us will be a four-day school week will put up a major challenge, a challenge that we honestly cannot afford to face. We have worked hard to hold a competing salary in the state to maintain the staff we have.”
At the most recent meeting however, Riemersma supported the Board's decision.
“On behalf of our executive board and all of the work that the district has put in, our ask was to gather the information so you guys could have the conversation [about a possible four day week]," she said. "That’s what you did and we appreciate it very, very much. I wholeheartedly agree with the data.”
Dr. Jensen said that through recent discussion with the Nevada Department of Higher Education he discovered that Nevada is generating about 800 teachers per year, but Clark County alone has approximately 1,600 vacancies, not to mention the vacancies in the rest of the state.
With it clear that a much larger issue is at hand, the Board agreed that a four-day week would not be incentive enough to acquire teachers that just are not there.
“I certainly agree we need to find ways to retain and attract more teachers to Winnemucca—maybe that helps solve some burnout issues and things we have—but I just don’t thinking taking a day of school away from the kids is a good to do it,” said Trustee Lonnie Hammargren. “We need to have more positive statistics that it’s good for kids before it’s going to garner our support.”
The Board had previously discussed sending out a survey to the parents, students and the community in order to gather input about the possible schedule switch, but Trustee Jenna Owens said “Even if we send out a survey the facts won’t change.”
“We can revisit this of course if we get more reasons why we should but I hate to expend more resources when these variables aren’t going to change,” said Hammargren.
Social aspects were also considered and Trustee Nicole Bengochea cited a survey the district did among McDermitt students that found that over 80 percent of the students said that they preferred to be in school five days over four days when the school briefly went to a four-day schedule.
“All of these kids now have went through COVID, they’ve seen what that short week looks like.Their social time is important to them too,” said Bengochea.