Four day week coming to LISD

At the Liberty ISD School Board meeting on Tuesday, the board voted 4-2 in favor of moving to a four-day calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. This board initiated proposal follows several other school districts in the state, including neighboring Devers ISD, who have also moved towards the four-day schedule.

Chief Academic Officer Margaret Gardzina led the LISD Calendar Committee in coming up with the new calendar. Research began by speaking to teachers and parents, with a survey going out to parents recently. Much input was received and both groups responded well to the proposed idea according to school district officials.

The students will still be instructed for the state-required 75,600 minutes and the new schedule meets those expectations. The athletic director and the girls’ coordinator in the district have been supportive of the new calendar, seeing the open Friday as an opportunity for planning and mentoring.

One of the primary goals of the new schedule is to recruit and retain quality teachers in the school district.

“This has big support amongst teachers and parents. The benefit will be recruitment and retainment of teachers,” said Liberty ISD Superintendent Cody Abshier.