Jeff Davis Parish residents are apparently very interested in a survey being made for a proposed four-day school week judging from the response to the questionnaire.

School Superintendent John Hall said more than 3,000 questionnaires have been received since the survey was released to the public on Oct. 2. Of those, more than 2,230 have been submitted by parents, guardians, community members and other stakeholders with over 565 staff responses.

Thirty-five percent of students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 have also responded to the survey so far, Hall said.

“We were surprised because there were so many that took it right away, so we feel comfortable that it is some data that we can use since so many people are participating,” Hall said. “I think it’s going to give us some accurate insight into how different groups feel about possibly going to a four-day school week.”

Those interested in taking the brief survey have until midnight Monday, Oct. 16 to complete the survey. The survey is available on the school board’s website at www.jeffersondavis.org.

Hall hopes to have data from the survey compiled for the school board to review at its committee meetings at 5 pm Tuesday. The results are also expected to be presented to the full board at its 6 p.m. meeting on Thursday.

Any changes made based on the survey will not be made until the 2024-2025 school year, he said.

“This would allow us to continue to research the matter and consider all the factors when changing the school week,”Hall said. “We know we will have to change the way some things are done, but we will have to look at those before the board can make any decisions.”

it will be up the school board to make the final decision based on the data and research, Hall said.

The surveys are based on a hybrid four-day school week option with students and staff attending 8 five-day school weeks – three in August and five in April/May for state testing. The remainder of the school year would be four-day weeks.

On any four-day weeks, staff will not work on the fifth non-school/work day.

Those taking the survey are asked if they are in favor, neutral (no preference) or opposed to the four-day school/work week proposal. Surveyors are also asked to choose their preference on estimated daily times for bus arrivals, breakfast, start time and dismissal time, as well as their preference for the weekly non-school day with options of Monday or Friday off.

School officials have been exploring a four-day school week since March, but delayed any official action until a survey could be conducted to gauge the community’s response, Hall said.

A special committee was formed to create the survey using their own ideas and samples of similar surveys from other school districts. The committee included stakeholders and administrators from each school district.