BOARD OF TRUSTEES UNANIMOUSLY VOTES NO TO 4-DAY SCHOOL WEEK

February 25, 2025 – The Livingstone Range School Division Board of Trustees voted unanimously to defeat a motion proposing a 4-day school week for all Division schools including Hutterite Colony schools. The debate and vote came after nearly a year of stakeholder engagement, scenario development, budget forecasting, research, and reporting of a potential 4-day school week.
“Although there are many potential benefits for a 4-day school week, as Trustees we ultimately felt that it is not in the best interest of ‘Every student, every day’,” says Lori Hodges, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “The risks and potential hardships for students, families, and staff did not outweigh the possibilities.”
From the outset, the Trustees determined they would use three criteria to evaluate a 4-day school week: student success, budget efficiencies, and staff retention & recruitment. Having carefully reviewed the comprehensive report over the past five weeks, the Trustees came to the Board Meeting with a clear understanding of the pros and cons of a 4-day school week in our specific context. While Trustees considered all three criteria, it was the student success piece that seemed to be the most central to their discussion.
“Student success and mental health and wellness is our top priority,” says Hodges. “Each Trustee expressed their commitment to a decision that would put students first. While we understand that our stakeholders will have a mix of feelings about our decision, we feel that saying no to a 4-day school week keeps the welfare of our students at the forefront.”
During the six-month stakeholder engagement period, the Division invested in 64 hours of in-person engagement with 384 people, administered five surveys, received 19 handwritten letters, and 135 emails. The Trustees expressed their sincere thanks to all those who shared their perspectives and feedback. They also are grateful to Senior Administration and Division Office staff whose detailed work and effort on this project was exemplary.
Stakeholders can view January’s Detailed Public Report and the recording of today’s meeting at www.lrsd.ca/4dayweek.