Teacher applications skyrocket 456 percent due to 4-day school week vote: superintendent

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Independence School District became the largest in the state to move to a 4-day school week.

A 6-1 vote on Dec. 13 approved superintendent Dr. Dale Herl’s plan to make the Independence School District a more attractive place to work for teachers, support staff and bus drivers.

Early returns suggest Herl’s plan is working for the teaching aspect.

Herl tweeted Friday morning that the school district has received 506 teaching applications from Oct. 1, 2022 - Jan. 9, 2023, a 456 percent increase from the same time frame the year prior.

“This is largely due to the passage of the 4DSW (day school week),” Herl stated.

At the time of the vote in December, 141 much smaller districts in Missouri already were on 4-day weeks.

The new schedule for Independence Schools does not go into effect until the 2023-24 school year. The district has created a Four Day Instructional Week Information Center online for updates during the transition.