DIANA, Texas — For the first time ever, New Diana ISD has four-day school weeks.
Board trustees adopted the four-day school week last spring. Superintendent Carl Key said they’re more staffed than they’ve been in the last three years.
"That has been a marketing aspect for us to be able to recruit people on the four-day week," Key said.
Having an extra day can help ease the workload for teachers.
"On the weekend we always have a lot to do. So I'm hoping maybe I can do some of the schoolwork on Fridays," New Diana ISD teacher Linda Watkins said.
It will be a bit of an adjustment for the students with longer school days that start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.
"We had to change our scope and sequence a little bit to fit the days so that way we can stay on task and where we need to be but it didn't change too much," NDISD teacher Courtney Verzosa said.
Key said at this time they aren’t offering accommodations for students on Fridays.
"We did send out a questionnaire for parents, and at this time, we've had very little, if any requests. We do have a backpack program at our elementary school And so yes, for those that are in need, there are provisions that will be made available," Key said.
Although Fridays are a non-working day, extracurricular activities will still take place like Friday night football. However, Key said with all those factors it will make for a successful school year.