Livingstone Range School Division seeks input on four-day school week

By Rob Vogt

The Livingstone Range School Division wants to hear what everyone thinks about a four-day school week.
The division issued a release on Oct. 23 explaining on April 22, the board of trustees announced it will explore a four-day school week to determine if it would be in the best interest of student success, budget efficiencies, and staff retention and recruitment.
As part of this exploration, a dedicated webpage has been established at www.lrsd.ca/4dayweek, where stakeholders can find a comprehensive overview, a stakeholder engagement timeline, frequently asked questions, various downloadable snapshots, and a draft of the proposed four-day school week calendar.
For the past six months, the board has actively engaged with various stakeholders including staff, parents, student leaders, Indigenous education partners, union executives, and Hutterian Brethren leaders to gather a wide range of perspectives. Division leaders have had in-person consultations with more than 120 individuals from key stakeholder groups.
“The feedback collected so far has been instrumental in understanding the diverse viewpoints within our educational community,” says Lori Hodges, chair of the board of trustees. “The engagement process is designed to be thorough and inclusive, ensuring that all voices are heard.”
Next week, school council chairs and vice chairs – who play a critical role in representing their school parent communities – will have an opportunity for in-person consultation with division leaders.
This will be a key touchpoint to further understanding the parent perspective and impact of a potential four-day school week.
As the engagement phase progresses, the school division invites all stakeholders to share their thoughts about the proposed four-day school week. That feedback is crucial to the decision-making process. In November, there will be an opportunity for stakeholders to share their perspectives through self-video submissions.
In the meantime, people are encouraged to please e-mail 4dayweek@lrsd.ab.ca (no dashes or spaces) with their input or visit the school division website to download relevant materials and learn more about the exploration of a four-day school week in Livingstone Range School Division.