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Bogalusa City Schools are making a change for the 2023-24 school year.

The Bogalusa City Schools is going to a four-day per week schedule.

“It’s going to be Monday through Thursday,” Director of Finance for Bogalusa City Schools Deloris Walker said. “We did a study that started in November with a team of supervisors. We got together and looked at the trend of what’s going on because we’re not the first in the state to do it to see what we can do to invite more certified teachers and a better way of looking at instruction and academics. Also, there’s a state requirement that we are on minutes now and not days.”

Walker said the state requires 63,720 minutes. They’ll have 65,992.

Walker said they sent out surveys to all the parents. They had community meetings at Byrd Avenue Primary School, Central Elementary School and Bogalusa High School. Met with parents. They came out and they could address any questions or concerns. The meetings were also on Facebook live.

Walker said that Supervisor of Federal Programs for Bogalusa City Schools Shelley Gill and Bogalusa City Schools Human Resource Director Karla McGehee were instrumental in helping with this. Walker said that other supervisors helped as well.

Walker said that about 70 percent wanted the four-day weekly schedule.

Students will be in school an extra 53 minutes per day and the school year will be extended by a few days at the start and finish.

Other than that, the calendar will be about the same.

With the new schedule, Gill said they’ll be able to offer different things on Fridays, not every Friday, but they can offer things like tutoring, mental health, and a chance to set up time with parents. 

On Thursdays, students will be sent home with breakfast and lunch for the next day.