Schools Will Have Early Dismissal On Wednesdays

WATER VALLEY – Students in the Water Valley School District will have abbreviated Wednesdays for the remainder of the semester after school board members unanimously approved a request from Superintendent Jerry Williams for more staff development days. The superintendent explained that the early dismissal will provide teachers more time to work on instructional material during the school day.
“I have been talking with teachers about issues we are having and a lot of it is time,” Williams explained during Monday night’s school board meeting. “They are stretched and this will take some of the at-home work they are having to do off of them.”
Starting Sept. 30 students will dismiss at 12:15 at Davidson Elementary School and at 12:35 at Water Valley High School, which will still allow 240 minutes of instructional time. The superintendent noted 240 minutes is the minimum allowed by the Mississippi Department of Education to count as a full school day.
Williams said that time will be allocated for teachers to plan and  prepare instructional videos for distance learners as well as grade work. He also noted Wednesday afternoons could be utilized to bring in distance learning students to the schools for testing.
“They are doing double work right now,” Trustee Pierce Epes noted about teachers providing daily instruction for in-class students as well as material for distance learners at home.
Prior to the start of the school year, students selected from two learning options, distance learning at home or traditional classroom learning.
“It will give teachers a big relief, the ones I have talked to are wanting some time during the day,” Williams added.