Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

VIDALIA, La. — The Concordia Parish School Board on Thursday chose not to adopt a school calendar for the 2025-26 academic year — a month after the state deadline for doing so — after hearing from a concerned grandparent about the four-day school week.

The Rev. James Lee spoke on behalf of families who are affected by the four-day school week that the school board adopted last school year. The district’s 2024-25 school calendar contained the required instructional time but began the school week on Tuesday following the Labor Day holiday and resumed school on Mondays during the testing period.

“I’m here to speak for the least ones because I’m a Matthew 25 person. ‘In as much as you’ve done it to the least one, you’ve done it unto me.’ So, when I saw this approval of the school calendar on tonight’s agenda, I don’t know whether you are voting on four day or five-day weeks, but I want to make it clear that I strongly support five days.

“I’m not here speaking for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren who, you know, are in the public school system. They are going to make it regardless of whether it’s four days or five because we’re going to make sure that they get all the resources that they need. … I’m speaking to the least ones. These are the children whose parents are not going to be calling you. They’re not going to be participating in surveys. But they represent the majority of the children that we’re serving in our school system.”

School board member Fred Butcher made the motion to table the issue of adopting a calendar that includes four-day weeks. The motion to table it was seconded by Fred Marsalis Sr. and passed by a vote of 6-2.

Board members Lisette Forman and Matt Taunton voted no on the motion. Board member Wayne Wilson was absent from Thursday’s meeting.

Superintendent Toyua Bachus, who previously spoke out in favor of the district returning to five-day school weeks, was absent Thursday for a medical procedure.

“Due to the fact that during the February meeting, the superintendent made statements in that meeting referring to her wishes … we need to table this until the superintendent is here,” Butcher said.

Forman, the Board President, said, “My only comment is would this affect us posting our calendar in time to be in compliance with the state?”

Butcher said the deadline had already passed. “The state says we needed to make a decision in March. This is April. I don’t see how a few days makes any difference.”

In a report Bachus made in February, she reminded board members that she was not a supporter of the 4-day work week last year when it was brought up but did her best to be a team player and make it a successful effort.

The majority of people who responded to recent surveys supported the four-day weeks, however, the response rate was low.

Bachus recommended that the school district go back to 5-day weeks and asked that her recommendation be added to the agenda tonight for discussion and appropriate action. However, the school board made no motion to add the 5-day week to the agenda during the February board meeting.

“I want you to consider this. Education is more than just academics,” Lee said. “It’s about socialization, it’s about professional oversight, and it’s about nutrition. Four days is going to take away a day of those three things. It’s going to put the parents in a position where they got to provide some extra oversight or childcare, or even food that they really can’t afford.

“So, I’m imploring you to think about the least ones. When I look around and see those who are here today, these children are going to be fine, whether it’s four days or five. But the least ones are the ones going to be impacted the most, more than the children that we have here.”