At a recent principal’s meeting, the leadership of Vance County Schools discussed extending the school day for elementary schools by one-half hour.
Secondary schools would not be affected by any changes to the elementary day.
The current instructional day for elementary schools in Vance County is five and a half hours, which is the state minimum requirement.
Hours for students are now 8:10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
It is unclear if teacher work hours would be extended by the longer day. Teacher work hours generally run from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., not including time budgeted for conferences and meetings, and could theoretically absorb the longer day without an increase.
Teachers are salaried employees and are therefore exempt from federal wage-and-hour laws. Educational support personnel, however, are hourly workers.
There was some indication that the extension would occur at the end of the school day; however, no firm details have been established.
Reasons given for the proposal include allowing time for greater emphasis on county-mandated character education, flexibility for meeting state-required recess periods, additional time for guided reading programs such as Accelerated Reader, and additional time for instruction in core subject areas.
Core subjects include reading, mathematics, science, writing, and social studies. Reading and mathematics are tested yearly at the elementary level by the End-of-Grade test beginning with the third grade. Writing is tested in the fourth grade. A fifth grade science exam will be field-tested this year, with accountability testing scheduled to commence in that subject in the 2007-2008 school year.
A social studies test is expected in the near future.
Principals took the idea back to their respective faculties for reaction and input. It is expected to receive further consideration at the next principal’s meeting.