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Hernando Today

School District's Four-Day Week Provokes Questions

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By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: July 24, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - As officials at the Hernando County School District praise the pilot "four-day week" program initiated by Superintendent Wayne Alexander that is saving an estimated $79,000 in energy costs this summer, others are questioning it.

The six-week program, implemented in June, aimed to reduce energy costs by closing down school and district buildings on Fridays for six weeks. Buildings have also been closed on Saturdays and Sundays, as usual.

But there's been some misconception about what "closed" really means.

Spring Hill resident Joan Lynch said she felt shocked to drive past Powell Middle School in Spring Hill last Saturday around 3 p.m. and see 15 to 20 cars in the parking lot, indicating that the building was in use.

"Why is there anybody at that school if they're supposed to be saving energy?" she asked. "These people are just spending and spending."

But the cars most likely belonged to teachers, who are allowed to obtain permission and a key from their principals to come in after hours and set up their classrooms, safety and security director Barry Crowley said.

"They don't have (full) air conditioning, though," he said. "I was told that if you come in on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday over the summer, you're going to sweat."

The energy-saving move does not call for turning the air off completely, maintenance director Ken Hill said.

"There may have been a misperception about the policy," he said.

The air, which is set on 74 degrees and 55 percent relative humidity on workdays, has simply been turned to its nonoccupied temperature of 80 degrees and 65 percent relative humidity. Its standards are based on state guidelines for mold prevention.

Lynch, a Kiwanis Club volunteer who helped with the Florida Sheriff's Youth Camps' mobile camp at Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics, said she felt upset that the new policy forced the program to be closed on Fridays this year.

"If (district personnel) can use the building but we can't have camp on Fridays, it's not fair," she said.

Hill said all camps and groups that use school facilities were told to shorten their program to Monday through Thursday this summer. The only exceptions were two YMCA camps that had already started when Alexander decided to implement the program, he said.

"The school district isn't about just shutting everyone down," she said. "We have to work with everyone, and we did the best we could to close down on Fridays."

Hill pointed out that teachers have always been allowed to come and go during nonschool hours - when the air is at its nonoccupied temperature - as long as they have permission from their administrator.

"Teachers go in on Saturdays and Sundays, work late at night, whatever they need to do," he said. "This isn't any different."

There are not any additional personnel paid to let teachers into the buildings, and the use of lights in individual classrooms on weekends is roughly the same as it has always been, Hill added.

"The amount used for (lights) is such a small number," he said.

Air conditioning costs account for 90 percent of the district's energy bill.

By district employees working 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday, the amount being saved is still estimated at $79,000, Hill said.

"It's a great idea, and it's really working out well," he said. "I hope we expand it next summer to a longer (time period), instead of just six weeks."

In past summers, employees still worked 10-hour, four-day weeks, but were given the option of taking off either Monday or Friday. This summer - instead of buildings remaining open five days a week - Alexander moved to cut costs by closing everything down on Fridays.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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