During a public forum on Jan. 31, community members voiced support for keeping a four-day school week at Camp Verde Unified School District — a viewpoint sustained by a 3-to-2 vote by the CVUSD Governing Board Tuesday, Feb. 14.
CVUSD Governing Board members Eric Lawton, Christine Schneider and Tim Roth voted for the measure, while President Helen Freeman and member Kitty McDowell voted against it.
The decision means that at its elementary, middle and high schools CVUSD’s four-day school week will be maintained, while South Verde High School will continue to run on a Monday-through-Friday schedule.
CVUSD has been operating on this schedule since the 2014-15 school year.
Though keeping a four-day school week for the 2017-18 school year has been decided, the board agreed to revisit the option to return to a five-day school week next year.
Initially in favor of a returning to a five-day school week, CVUSD Superintendent Dennis Goodwin reported in December that he has “come around” to the idea of sustaining a four-day school week but wants to see an overall increase in student classroom time.
According to Goodwin’s strategic plan, the calendar will have up to 40 weeks of instruction and approximately 160 classroom days.
Prior to its March meeting, the CVUSD Governing Board will meet with Goodwin to discuss various calendar options for the 2017-18 school year.
According to CVUSD Governing Board and Administrative Assistant Mary Hudson, based upon online surveys and the recent forum public support is overwhelmingly in favor of the board’s decision.
Regardless, she said that “there were many valid concerns brought forward by supporters of a five-day school week.”
