Submitted by Ethan Sickels, 

Rock Port R-II Schools Superintendent

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our informational meeting earlier this month concerning the possibility of switching to a four-day school week for the 2022-23 school year, as well as those who have called, emailed, or spoken to me in person on the issue. It is certainly a big change to consider, and our administrative team and Board of Education want to ensure all aspects have been considered before a final decision is made. While there are certainly specific aspects of the proposed change that are both positive and negative for individual families, it is our task to determine what is the best for the entire Rock Port R-II School District moving forward. If you have not had the opportunity, I encourage you to look at both the meeting handout and survey data located on our website under the “Quick Links” section.

There will be one final short survey sent via email this week collecting further data on the possibility of a four-day school week. This survey will be quick and involves two questions:

(1) Are you in favor of the Rock Port R-II School District switching to a four-day school week for the 2022-23 school year?

(2) If the Rock Port R-II School District does switch to a four-day school week, which would you rather be the “off” day: Monday or Friday?

If you currently do not have a student attending but have a vested interest in completing the survey (i.e. have a young child who will be attending school in the near future, etc.), please email me at ethan.sickels@rpbluejays.com so I can send you the survey link. In addition, if you have not received the survey through your email by Friday, January 21, please email me so I can try a different email address. 

The deadline for the survey will be 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 27. If you have any questions or feedback you would like to provide on the consideration of a four-day school week, please don’t hesitate to reach out over the next couple of weeks. The final decision on next year’s calendar will be made at our February board meeting. 

As always, I leave you with three important words . . . 

GO BIG BLUE!