Administration changes school day hours for 2021-22 school year

    HARLAN -- Compromise has been reached on the end-of-the-day schedule at the Harlan Community Schools following weeks of discussions about the permanent elimination of the activity period.
    Harlan Community Schools Superintendent Lynn Johnson said while there still will be no activity period going forward, agreement has been reached by shortening the end of the school day to allow students and coaches to head to extra-curricular activities sooner than originally proposed.
    “We believe administratively this was a compromise, the middle ground to other things that we had considered and talked about,” said Johnson.  “That compromise was reached after discussions with some teachers and listening to patrons.”
    Discussions began after administration announced the permanent elimination of the activity period last month.  Some coaches expressed their disappointment and resistance with the change, saying it could lower participation in extra-curricular activities, change what makes Harlan Community successful and unique, reduce quality family time, and put added stress on students involved in activities.
    The activity period has been in place for approximately 50 years up until the past two years.   Its history dates back to when the district was consolidated with the seven area communities.  Promises were made at that time to get children home earlier after athletic practices due to travel time, and to allow for needed, quality family time.
    By eliminating the activity period from the instructional day, sports practices that have traditionally met the final period of the school day in addition to after school get pushed to fully after school, much like most school districts in Iowa.

Compromise
    Johnson said administration spent much time and energy on developing the school day for next year.  It will have a staggered release at the elementary level to keep the elementary students on the buses the least amount of time.
    The school day at the middle school/high school will go from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.  At the elementary it will go from 8 a.m.-3:10 p.m.  
    “I know you’ve heard from our public and from our staff and you’ve heard from the administrators about some of the priorities in our school day, and so the school day that we’ve put in front of you maintains some of the administration’s key priorities and the ability to share staff and maintain the same bell schedule between the middle school and the high school for all five periods except for the lunch period,” Johnson told the school board.
    “It’s an eight-period day for all middle school and high school students.  All teachers are available all eight periods.  There is no activity period, so overlapping of contracts is minimal as far as teaching assignments.”  
    Johnson said all kids in both middle school and high school will have access to an MTSS (multi-tiered system of support) period for any student struggling with a particular class or subject matter.
    The middle school will implement home room to address social/emotional education.
    In total there will be 1,160 instructional hours.   With 1,080 hours required as a minimum, it still puts the district at roughly 12 school days over the minimum instructional hours.
    Johnson said one vulnerable spot in the schedule may be troubleshooting for middle school students who when they had that activity period were able to get on transportation and go home.  
    “This schedule does not address that,” she said.  “We will need to be attuned to who those kids are…and try to find remedies for that.  That is something that we will need to keep our eye on.  
    “We’ll have to monitor engagement numbers and watch trends as a result of that vulnerable spot.”