WICHITA, Kansas — Kansas students are spending fewer days in school than they did decades ago, and the state’s top education leader wants that to change.
Education Commissioner Randy Watson is urging districts to cancel breaks or extend the school year to make up for days that were canceled because of inclement weather.
Most districts lost about eight days of school this winter because of snow or bitterly cold conditions.
Watson recently told the Kansas State Board of education that districts should also consider half-day summer school in June and July, at least for kindergarten through third grade students who are below grade level in reading or math.
He said the boost is needed to make up for learning losses that began before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Recovery is incrementally very slow,” Watson said. “While I think we should start thinking about our schedule for next year, I’m thinking, ‘How do we even jumpstart the learning … right now?’”
Kansas law requires public schools to have a minimum of 186 days, or at least 1,116 total hours each academic year. Over the past decade, most districts have opted to have longer but fewer school days — adding minutes to the daily schedule but shortening the school year.
In 2008, the average school year in Kansas was 174 days. This year, it’s 166. Some districts — particularly those with four-day weeks — have school only 141 days a year.
No district meets the minimum daily requirement of 186 days. The longest academic calendar is 183.4 days.
Watson said districts have added about 21 minutes to the school day, which equates to three minutes per class period in most high schools.
“Go ask a music teacher: ‘Would you rather have three minutes, or would you rather go to school eight more days?’” Watson said. “A music teacher’s going to say, ‘I want the eight days.’”
State law allows the Kansas State Board of Education to waive the minimum requirement for districts because of inclement weather or other factors.
But Watson discouraged board members from granting waivers, saying districts could make up the time by canceling scheduled breaks or adding days to the calendar.
“The state board will look at that at the end of the year when we see if you’ve exhausted all your avenues,” Watson said. “And right now, you have a lot of time left that you could … make up that time.”
Watson also urged half-day summer school for some young students. He proposed classes from 9 a.m. to noon Monday to Thursday through June and July, with extended weekends for Memorial Day and July Fourth.
