In 2010, the Chattooga County School System made the decision to switch to a four-day school week in order to save money.  The four-day school week remained in place until the 2019-2020 school year, when the Board of Education voted to go back to a five-day week.

The Chattooga Board of Education had gone through a major change from 2016 to 2018 after several long-time Democratic board members were defeated and replaced by Republicans who wanted to see a return to the five-day week.

At the time, many parents were upset with the decision to switch back to the five-day week.  Parents and students alike made impassioned pleas with the school board to keep the four-day week.  But, the decision was made to reinstate the five-day school week.

Now, all but one of those board members who voted to switch back to the five-day week are gone from the board of education.   Former Board Chair John Agnew chose not to run for re-election.  Board member Sam Ballard passed away and Dr. Julia Houston abruptly resigned her seat.  The only remaining member of the board who voted to return to the five-day week is Republican Brad Hayes.

At the time of the change back to the five-day week in 2019, WSB Television quoted board member Brad Hayes saying, “The last several years the test scores have still been at bottom and I’m trying to find a way to get more structure for those kids” as his reason for wanting a return to the five-day week.

Since that time, Republican board member B.J. Montgomery has been elected to the board to replace John Agnew.  Lynn Hall was tapped by the board to serve out the rest of Sam Ballard’s term and Spencer Hogg was selected to fill out the term of Dr. Houston.

Current Board Chairman Eddie Elsberry, the only elected Democratic school board member, was a member of the board of education back in 2010 when the decision was made to go to a four-day week.

At last week’s meeting of the Chattooga Board of Education, board members asked School Supt. Jared Hosmer to come back to them with both a four-day and five-day school calendar for the 2022-2023 school year for consideration.