Four Day School Week Exploratory Task Force

As the Bolivar R-I School District explores the possible transition to a 4-Day School Week (4DSW), our primary focus remains on recruiting top-tier teachers, student achievement, and supporting our families. Based on community feedback, we have developed a comprehensive plan to guide your child's education, routine, and extracurricular activities through this model.

Calendar & Daily Schedule Adjustments

Under the proposed calendar, Monday will be the designated off-day for students. The academic year will consist of 148 student contact days with slightly longer daily hours to maximize learning time:

• Adjusted School Day: The school day will be extended by 35 minutes. All schools will start 15 minutes earlier and end 20 minutes later than the current schedule.
• High School Schedule: Bolivar High School will shift to a 7-period day, potentially moving "Lib Time" to the end of the day to accommodate both academic support and extracurricular opportunities.
• Preserving Instructional Time: The district’s calendar will provide 1,070 total instructional hours, which is 26 hours more than state requirements. With designated snow make-up days and Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI), our instructional time remains fully protected regardless of winter weather.

Free K-8 Monday Childcare & Meals

We understand that securing childcare for a fifth day is a primary concern for working families. To support our community, Bolivar R-I will offer no-cost supervision for younger students on Mondays through our childcare program, 'Camp Lib'. Designed to provide working families with safe supervision and engaging recreational care, this program focuses on providing a positive environment rather than regular classroom instruction or specialized support services.

• Cost & Availability: Free K-8 childcare will be offered to working families every Monday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
• Nutrition: Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided to all attending students.
• Transportation: Limited bus routes will be provided for families utilizing the Monday childcare program.
• Staffing: The program will be staffed by district personnel and an on-site program coordinator.

Learning & Student Growth

Instructional pacing guides will be restructured to leverage the extended class periods. The district will pair high-impact classroom teaching with embedded blocks of time for academic intervention. This structure ensures that any student needing extra help receives immediate, targeted assistance during the regular school day – preserving academic momentum and supporting continuous student progress across the three-day weekend.

Special Education & IEP Supports

For families of students receiving specialized services, special education case managers will partner directly with you to review your child’s IEP. All required instructional minutes, related services, and accommodations will be adjusted in direct proportion to current service minutes and seamlessly redistributed across the four extended instructional days. This collaborative alignment guarantees that every student continues to receive uninterrupted, individualized support.

Athletics & Extracurricular Activities

Extracurriculars and athletics remain a vital part of the Bolivar Schools experience, and we have structured the off-day to accommodate these programs:

• Monday Practices: Practices and contests will continue to occur on Mondays at their normal after-school times (after 3:00 PM).
• Middle School Transportation Accommodations: We recognize transportation to Monday afternoon practices can be difficult for working parents. Parents of Middle School athletes may utilize our childcare offering housed at BPS, Camp Lib, and the district will bus those students to BMS at 3:30 PM for their practices.