By BARBARA GREEN

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After two failed motions Monday night, Bowie Independent School District trustees finally approved a four-day school calendar for 2023-24.
The possibility has been in discussions for the last several months with the district’s calendar committee examining a variety of four- and five-day calendar options. BISD joins Nocona, Prairie Valley, Montague and Gold-Burg which all operate with some form of a four-day schedule. Forestburg and Saint Jo ISD each have committees looking into the options.
There were about a dozen people in attendance for this topic, and two parents were surprised when they found they were not allowed to ask questions in the discussion.
The board procedures require those wishing to make public comments to sign in and make those comments during that item early in in the agenda. Superintendent Blake Enlow said one of the administrators would be happy to call and talk with them the next day.
The board reviewed many of the pros and cons during its last meeting and during the public forum two weeks ago; however, they went through the major ones once more.
The basics of a four-day week would have the staff and students out of school on Fridays, with the staff coming in one Friday each month for professional development.
The exceptions would add one more day in October when parent-teacher conferences are required for kindergarten-fifth grades and in March when interim data is available. The school day would see 45 minutes added to the day on all campuses.
The early Wednesday release was eliminated from all calendar options. Students would only attend on Friday if invited for tutorials, attendance recovery or behavioral intervention. Based on the recommendation school would begin Aug. 7 and release on May 23. Staff would report on July 31.
The holiday schedule would remain the same except there is no Martin Luther King or President’s Day holiday. Curriculum Director Lee Ann Farris said the proposals mimic the present schedule, but on three-day weekends it is on a Friday not a Monday. When they return from Christmas break there would be one training/planning day.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.