Source: www.tmcnet.com

Kingsland Public Schools is considering an alternative school schedule in which students would spend four days in a traditional classroom setting with the fifth day of instruction delivered via technology and computer.

District officials say the proposal remains at the discussion stage, but could be implemented as early the second semester of this academic year. The plan, called i4Knights, was introduced to the school board last month.

“Kingsland is no different than any other district in the state. Everybody is sick and tired of making budget cuts. And if this is an alternative way to offer more, then it needs to be looked at,” said school board chairman Mitch Lentz.

Confronted with a $440,000 shortfall this spring, the 800-student district eliminated two elementary school positions, two paraprofessionals positions and the business education program from the curriculum, as well as enacted a 10 percent cut for all departments.

Officials stress the proposal should not be viewed as a four-day school week, because the fifth day — or digital day — would be a school day also. Only in this case, the instruction would be delivered at a remote location, such as at home, the library, daycare center or the computer lab at school. The district rejected the idea of a four-day school week because it did little more than lengthen the days.

Kingsland Superintendent Darrin Strosahl says i4Knights could have other benefits.

“If you try a different approach, you could engage some that are not engaged right now,” Strosahl said.

Students who don’t have Internet access might gather at a home that does in a manner similar to car pooling. Administrators say a digital day might have students holding an online class discussion from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Or they might be given a project to do on their own.

So far the reaction of students and some teachers has been muted, because so little is known about it. Denise Erichsen, a Kingsland kindergarten teacher who worked on the committee that developed the new schedule, said teachers would adjust.

Molly Greiner, a Kingsland junior, said she knows too little about i4Knights to form a strong opinion, but some things sound appealing to her.

“I would be OK. I’d like it,” Greiner said. “You could do your stuff on your computer.”