Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

MONTEREY, La. — Concordia Parish School’s Superintendent Toyua Bachus called the academic calendar that the school board adopted Thursday during its regularly scheduled meeting, “The great compromise.”

The calendar consists of 160 instructional days, with five-day school weeks during August 2025 and March and April of 2026, and four-day weeks beginning on Labor Day and continuing through February and on the final weeks of the school year in May.

At the meeting, which was held in Monterey High School’s old gymnasium on Thursday, Bachus pointed out that a traditional four-day work week in schools would only have 145 instructional days each school year and a traditional five-day week calendar would have 180 instructional days, including four days to make up any days missed for inclement weather. For the 2022-2025 academic year, Concordia Parish schools had 156 instructional days.

The school district made the switch to a four-day work week in the previous academic year, primarily to compete with districts like Catahoula and Caldwell Parish to retain and hire qualified teachers.

Bachus said the 160-day calendar had been “overwhelmingly supported” by the district staff.

“It allows for our parents and staff to have a great balance between home life and work, which is so important, and it is also an opportunity to get our kids in more than 145 days. … I guess no one counted days. You all saw holidays lined up, having time off every month.”

Bachus previously recommended that the school board consider switching back to five-day weeks at the April board meeting.

“I understand and appreciate the perspective that more time and data may be needed before switching back and making a final decision. I want to be clear that it was never my intention to blindside, disregard or disrespect this board in any way by making such a recommendation,” she said. “While I continue to stand by my recommendation for a five-day instructional calendar based on what I truly believe is in the best interest of long-term student achievement and district operations, I also recognize the importance of compromise and collaboration.”

Bachus also said that families have the choice to attend school on Mondays when school is not scheduled to be in session, but the days are still being utilized for tutoring and extracurricular activities.

The board voted 7-1 to adopt the calendar with 160 instructional days, with board member Fred Butcher voting against it. Butcher also said he wanted the school board to revisit the calendar issue when final state test scores are received in third through eighth grade, which would come in July.

Bachus said high school test scores did improve, “But as you can recall, it wasn’t high school we were worried about with going to a four-day week. It was our little people. And we don’t have those scores back yet. … We don’t have all of the pieces to say (whether test scores were affected).”

The decision to hold Thursday’s school board meeting in Monterey was made to better accommodate all of the communities served by Concordia Parish School District, officials said. The June 12 regular school board meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at Ferriday Junior High School.