On Monday evening, December 15, 2025, the Southern Boone School Board unanimously decided to table—rather than approve—a proposal for a four-day school week for the 2026-2027 academic year. The decision, which followed months of community surveys, research, and spirited debate, means students in the district will continue with the traditional five-day schedule for at least another year. The move comes as school districts across Missouri, and particularly in rural areas, grapple with how to attract and retain teachers while balancing the needs and concerns of families.
The idea of a four-day school week has gained traction throughout Missouri in recent years, especially in districts facing teacher shortages and budget constraints. According to a 2024 report by the Show-Me Institute, nearly half—47%—of rural Missouri school districts have already adopted a four-day week. Statewide, that amounts to 173 out of 518 districts making the switch. In Southern Boone’s immediate vicinity, about 38% of school districts within 50 miles, including Hallsville, Harrisburg, and New Bloomfield, have transitioned to the shorter week. Hallsville, for instance, saw 75% of its residents vote to reapprove the four-day schedule in November 2025, after initially adopting it in 2022.
Southern Boone’s proposal would have shifted classes to run Tuesday through Friday, extending each school day by 40 minutes—from 7:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.—and eliminating the current early release on Wednesdays. The district began exploring the four-day calendar primarily as a strategy to improve teacher recruitment and retention. Superintendent Dr. Tim Roth explained that Southern Boone’s location, wedged between the larger cities of Columbia and Jefferson City, puts it at a competitive disadvantage. Those cities benefit from larger tax bases, which support higher teacher salaries, while Southern Boone faces tighter revenue constraints.
“The board has been diligent in gathering information, consulting with researchers, experts, and administrators, and considering community input while exploring the calendar option,” Roth said before the vote, according to KOMU 8. He acknowledged that while the four-day week will not go into effect for now, the district’s efforts to address teacher recruitment, retention, and compensation are far from over.
The board’s decision was influenced by more than just the teacher pipeline, however. Surveys distributed to staff and families revealed a sharp divide within the community. According to district-provided data, a majority of staff members favored the new schedule, seeing it as a potential boost to job satisfaction and a way to make Southern Boone more attractive to prospective teachers. Parents, on the other hand, were more skeptical: a survey with 910 responses found that 45% of parents saw no benefit to a four-day week, and 52% believed it would negatively impact their family. Only a minority of parents felt the change would be positive for them.
During Monday night’s meeting, which drew around 20 community members, board members and administrators acknowledged the limitations of existing research on the four-day school week. While anecdotal reports from districts that have made the switch suggest it can help with teacher recruitment, there is little “hard data” to prove the calendar makes a measurable difference in either recruitment or retention. Board President Amy Begemann has previously voiced her reservations, saying in November, “The questions unanswered by research or studies make me apprehensive to move one way or the other.”
Begemann and other board members also pointed to broader financial uncertainties facing Missouri schools. The state’s Foundation Formula, which governs how much money each district receives, is currently under review by a task force assigned by Governor Mike Kehoe. At the same time, Senate Bill 727 provides financial incentives for districts to stick with a five-day calendar—a factor that weighed heavily in the board’s decision to wait. “There are insufficient data points at this time,” Begemann noted, making it difficult to “fully understand the impact of the four-day school week.”
“The Board emphasized that this approach ensures any decision made will be informed, sustainable, and in the best interest of students, staff, and the community,” Begemann said in a district news release following the meeting. “We appreciate all communication in person or via email that was shared with the Board to help inform our decision.” She added that tabling the decision allows the board to continue gathering research and community input while exploring additional strategies to improve overall teacher compensation.
The debate over the four-day school week has also played out among students. Gannon Seyer, a junior at Southern Boone High School, shared his perspective during the meeting. “I think a lot of students don’t think it through. A lot of the students say a day off of school, yes, a day off school. They don’t see it as a chance to expand on themselves, they don’t see it as a chance to go find employment to work while they may say that that’s not what I see. I hear I want a day off school,” Seyer said, as reported by KOMU 8. His comments captured a tension that has surfaced in many districts: while some students and families see the extra day as an opportunity for enrichment or employment, others worry about lost instructional time or the burden of arranging childcare.
Despite the divided opinions and the lack of conclusive research, the trend toward four-day weeks in Missouri continues to grow. Proponents argue that the shorter week can help districts compete for teachers in a tight labor market, boost morale, and even save on transportation and utility costs. Critics, meanwhile, question whether the benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks for families—especially those who rely on schools for childcare or meals—and whether students might fall behind academically.
For now, Southern Boone is taking a cautious approach. The board’s decision to table the proposal leaves the door open for future consideration, but also signals a commitment to thorough research and broad community engagement. As Superintendent Roth put it, the district will continue its “work regarding teacher recruitment, retention and compensation,” regardless of the school calendar.
With nearly half of Missouri’s rural districts already on a four-day schedule, and the debate showing no signs of slowing, Southern Boone’s experience may offer a useful case study for other districts wrestling with the same questions. The board’s emphasis on data, transparency, and public input reflects a broader trend in education policy—one where big changes are weighed carefully, with an eye toward both immediate needs and long-term consequences.
As the community awaits further research and discussion, one thing is clear: the conversation about how best to serve students, teachers, and families in Southern Boone is far from over.
