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Ear to the Ground

Cutting Classes to Cut Costs

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Posted on Aug 18, 2008
empty classroom
flickr.com/terrapin_flyer

Although this might strike the kids involved as a good deal, it’s a definite sign of the times for the adults: A rural Minnesota school district has decided to strike Mondays from the calendar this fall in order to save money, making classes slightly longer on other days to make up the lost time. School in other parts of the country are resorting to other creative measures to squeak by this year.


AP via Yahoo News:

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” said Candice Jaenisch, whose two sons and daughter will be making the switch. “You’re cutting expenses that really don’t affect school.”

The other option for the district—Maccray, an acronym for Maynard, Clara City and Raymond—was to start cutting electives. A shorter week will save at least $65,000 in fuel, superintendent Greg Schmidt said.

There is still a cost. Kids will have to stay awake and alert later in the day, and some parents will need to find day care on Mondays. But it’s a small district, with 700 students, and many parents are self-employed with jobs in farming or construction.

“I really don’t know that there are that many people with set hours Monday through Friday,” Jaenisch said.

Nationwide, at least 14 other districts are switching to four-day weeks, and dozens more are considering it, according to a recent survey by the American Association of School Administrators.

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By hippy pam, August 19 at 2:37 pm #

Oh Yeah-and...the schools teach “twisted truths"-I was taught in school that CUSTER was a hero-I was taught at home that CUSTER was a murderer who had his soldiers take the Native American Womens Babies and HOIST THEM UP ON THEIR BAYONETS......

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By troublesum, August 19 at 11:36 am #

They should drop Fridays too.  Being dumbed down three days a week is more than enough.

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By hippy pam, August 19 at 4:15 am #

Several years ago-the GRADUATION TEST[final exam]of a High Scool in MY CITY was to BALANCE A CHECKBOOK-Out of 300+/- kids-the MAJORITY FAILED-Our System of Education-as well as or System of Government-is a FAILURE…

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By Greensky, August 18 at 10:53 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

To BlueEagle:
Are you saying that playing violent video games is a bad thing?

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By BlueEagle, August 18 at 4:54 pm #

This is great news! The less time students spend in State sponsored indoctrination camps the more they might learn something of real value.

Unfortunately, the children will probably just watch more propaganda on their TV or play violent video games.

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By yellowbird2525, August 18 at 4:44 pm #

in my opinion, that’s as good a reason as any to cut classes! home schooling is best anyway! most history seems to be being re written today anyway; ask the democrats & reps who are busy getting original internet archives changing & back dating them!

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