ROCKDALE, Texas — Students in Rockdale ISD are going to have a four-day school week to look forward to when they return on Tuesday, Aug. 8.
Lauren Williams, a mother of four, has a child at each campus in the district who keeps busy with sports.
“We are busy all the time. We are constantly juggling kids and getting them from place to place as well as getting back to school," Williams said.
Williams says with the new direction the district is going in, she and her family are prepared for the change.
“I do have two younger kids that usually wouldn’t stay by themselves, and I have two older kids that usually help in those areas. My parents also live in town, so they are also willing to help out on the days they aren’t attending school.”
According to the (TSTA) Texas State Teachers' Association, there are around 40 school districts in the state that are making this change to the four-day week. Superintendent Denise Monzingo says Rockdale ISD is offering a bit of relief to the parents and students that need it.
“The hardest part for us was, 'What are the kids doing on Fridays?'," Monzingo said.
"Our normal after-school program will now be on Friday mornings so parents can be able to use it up until noon.”
The superintendent is optimistic that the new schedule will not only benefit students, but teachers as well. She believes the adjusted schedule will help teachers to better guide their students.
“We have some brand-new teachers, but we have experienced teachers that came here," Monzingo said.
"This is good for Rockdale. We have seen this positive piece and we’re going to take that and run with it."
The 2023-2024 Rockdale ISD school schedule can be found here.
