“Gov. Jay Nixon has proposed lengthening the school year from 174 days to 180 days to put the state in line with the national average. Should Missouri public schools add six days of classes?”
That’s the question on the most recent poll on the website of the Sedalia Democrat and at writing a little more than 2/3 of the responders are voting in the affirmative.
kAmp?5 E96C6’D 2? 62DJ 6IA=2?2E:@? 7@C E96 62DJ G:4E@CJi |@DE @7 E96 C6DA@?56CD 2C6 AC@323=J 25F=ED 2?5 >2?J @7 E96> H@F=5 AC@323=J 6?;@J >@C6 49:=5\7C66 E:>6] {:EE=6 %C2G:D[ =:<6 >2?J D49@@=\286 <:5D[ H@F=5 D4C62> @FE :? 9@CC@C 2E E96 >6C6 E9@F89E] &89[ >@C6 D49@@=n s@?’E x 2=C625J DA6?5 6?@F89 E:>6 E96C6 2D :Dnk^Am
kAmp?5 H96? x 7:CDE C625 E9C@F89 E92E A@== BF6DE:@?[ :E DFCAC:D65 >6] x 925 2=H2JD 2DDF>65 E92E E96C6 H6C6 7656C2= DE2?52C5D 7@C E96 =6?8E9 @7 2 D49@@= J62C] qFE E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 2==@HD E9@D6 42=6?52CD E@ 36 D6E @? 2 DE2E6\3J\DE2E6 32D:D 2?5 |:DD@FC:’D E@E2= C6BF:C65 D49@@= 52JD A6C J62C[ `fc[ :D 2>@?8 E96 =62DE :? E96 ?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm(6’C6 @?=J 362E:?8 @FE r@=@C25@[ p=2D<2[ 2?5 |:49:82?i C6BF:C:?8 `e_[ `f_ 2?5 `f_ C6DA64E:G6=J] z6?EF4<J[ |2:?6[ }@CE9 s2<@E2 2?5 '6C>@?E @?=J C6BF:C6 @?6 >@C6 52J E92? |:DD@FC:[ x==:?@:D 4@>6D :? 2E `ff 2?5 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 DE2E6D 92G6 4@>6 E@ 2 4@?D6?DFD @? @FC E2C86E ?F>36C[ `g_]k^Am
kAm$@>6 H@F=5 2C8F6 E92E H6 D9@F=5 86E E@ `g_ ;FDE 3642FD6 :ED 364@>6 D@>6E9:?8 @7 2 DE2?52C5j 2D E9@F89 :E’D 36EE6C E@ 92G6 >@C6 D49@@= 52JD ;FDE 7@C E96 D2<6 @7 92G:?8 >@C6 D49@@= 52JD]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 DE2E:DE:4D D2J E92E 2 =@?86C J62C 5@6D?’E 6DD6?E:2==J AC@5F46 36EE6C =62C?:?8 @C 36EE6C E6DE D4@C6D] |2?J @7 E96 49:=5C6? :? E96 4@F?EC:6D E92E 92G6 65F42E:@?2= DJDE6>D E92E AC@5F46 AFA:=D E92E 362E @FCD :? 2 ?F>36C @7 42E68@C:6D 5@ D@ H:E9 E96 D2>6 @C 2E =62DE 2 4@>A2C23=6 2>@F?E @7 24EF2= =62C?:?8 E:>6]k^Am
kAmx E9:?< H6 2== F=E:>2E6=J H@F=5 =:<6 E@ D66 @FC <:5D C646:G6 E96 36DE A@DD:3=6 65F42E:@?] qFE D:I >@C6 52JD @7 E96 D2>6 65F42E:@? E92E E96J’C6 2=C625J C646:G:?8 AC@323=J :D?’E 8@:?8 E@ AC@5F46 E96 D@CE @7 :>AC@G6>6?E E92E H6’5 =:<6 E@ D66] %96C6’D @?=J D@ >F49 >@C6 2 E62496C 4@F=5 5@ H:E9 D=:89E=J >@C6 E92? 2 H66< @7 4=2DD E:>6]k^Am
kAmp D:I 52J :?4C62D6 :D AC24E:42==J ?@?6 2E 2==[ 6G6? :7 :E 5@6D 96=A FD >66E =2C86=J 2C3:EC2CJ ?2E:@?2= DE2?52C5D] x 8F6DD :E 4@F=5 8:G6 E96 @E96C DE2E6D =6DD 2>>F?:E:@? H96? E96J 86E 42EEJ 2C@F?5 E96 H2E6C 4@@=6C] w6J |:DD@FC:[ 9@H >2?J 52JD 2 J62C 5@ J@FC <:5D E@ E@ D49@@=nk^Am
kAm$@ E96C6 2C6 EH@ E9:?8D E92E 4@F=5 24EF2==J 36 5@?6i (6 4@F=5 :?4C62D6 E96 ?F>36C @7 D49@@= 52JD D:8?:7:42?E=J D@ E92E E96C6 :D C62= 6IEC2 E:>6 E@ H@C< H:E9 WH9:49 x 4@F=5 @?=J 5:D4FDD @? 2 E96@C6E:42= =6G6=[ 3642FD6 x 766= 2D E9@F89 DA6?5:?8 AC24E:42==J 92=7 @7 2 8:G6? J62C :? D49@@= :D E2I:?8 6?@F89 7@C >@DE 49:=5C6?X @C 5@:?8 >@C6 H:E9 E96 E:>6 E92E H6 2=C625J 92G6]k^Am
kAmx 766= 2D E9@F89 H96? :E 4@>6D E@ E96 D49@@= J62C E92E H6 D9@F=5 6>3C246 E96 :562 @7 BF2=:EJ @G6C BF2?E:EJ]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96C6 2C6 2 ?F>36C @7 5:776C6?E :562D @? 9@H E@ :>AC@G6 E96 D49@@= 52J 3FE E96C6’D @?6 H2J E92E 567:?:E6=J :D?’E 8@:?8 E@ 5@ :E] p?5 :?7=2E:?8 E96 DE2?52C5D 7@C |:DD@FC: D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED H:E9@FE 24EF2==J 6?24E:?8 2?JE9:?8 E92E H:== 96=A E96> >66E E9@D6 DE2?52C5D H:== 5@ ?@E9:?8 3FE 5:8 E96 9@=6 566A6C]k^Am
kAm{6E :E 36 564C665 E92E 65F42E:@? 86ED 36EE6C[ H6 :?D:DE] !C6DD E96 3FEE@?D 2?5 DH:E496D 2?5 >2<6 :E D@]k^Am
kAms@ J@F <?@H H92E 92AA6?D E@ D49@@=D E92E 5@?’E >66E E96:C :?4C62D:?8=J 9:896C DE2?52C5Dn %96J =@D6 D@>6 @7 E96:C C6D@FC46D 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96:C 7F?5:?8] p?5 H96? E92E 92AA6?D E96J >:89E 92G6 E@ 4FE D@>6 @7 E96 A6@A=6 2?5 AC@8C2>D E92E 2==@H E96 D49@@= E@ 92G6 2 492?46 2E >66E:?8 E9@D6 DE2?52C5D] xDDF:?8 E96 D@CE @7 AF?:D9>6?ED E92E 5:C64E=J 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ C6A62E @776?D6D H@?’E 4C62E6 AC@8C6DD[ @?=J 2 5@H?H2C5 4J4=6 @7 C6DF=ED]k^Am
kAm*@F 42??@E AF?:D9 2 D49@@= :?E@ 4@>A=:2?46 E9C@F89 E96 H:E95C2H2= @7 C6D@FC46D]k^Am
kAm(6 5@?’E ?665 >@C6 D49@@= 52JD[ H6 ?665 36EE6C @?6D] p?5 H6 5@?’E ?665 E@ >2<6 325 D:EF2E:@?D H@CD6]k^Am