Show-Me Audit Of Independence School District 4-Day Schedule

Behind the scenes reporting on a hotly debated approach to public education that might help to recruit new teachers but leaves working-class parents without babysitters and free lunches. 

The bright side . . . The impact against student learning is negligible and the flap ACTUALLY proves instructive inasmuch as youngsters should learn about their future debates over government resources & allocations.  

Check-it . . .

The auditor’s office has held expanded power to audit school districts for more than a decade, but has rarely used it. Fitzpatrick’s decision to flex that power comes as a bill further expanding the auditor’s authority to investigate other government bodies without an invitation awaits Gov. Mike Parson’s signature.

The formal announcement of the audit to the school board on May 14 came shortly after Parson signed legislation to require school districts in charter counties and cities over 30,000 in population to seek voter approval if they want a four-day school week.

Independence switched to a Tuesday-through-Friday schedule for the 2023-24 school year to better recruit teachers and other staff. Independence School District Superintendent Dale Herl said it’s already been successful.  

The law doesn’t affect most of the more than 150 districts in the state that, like Independence, switched to a four-day week, because most of them are rural.

But it requires Independence, by far the largest district in the state to go to a four-day week, to win voter approval or return to a five-day week.

The new law and the audit announcement come as Independence is wrapping up its first school year on the four-day schedule.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Independence's four-day school week draws attention of the state's auditor

Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick wants to audit more school districts without a citizen petition or accusation of wrongdoing. Independence is first on the list.