In an effort to save money, Rowan-Salisbury School System employees at all central office and school locations will work longer, but fewer, days during the summer months.
Beginning the week of June 15 and continuing through the week of Aug. 10, school system staff will work 10-hour days Monday through Thursday. All central offices and schools will be closed on Fridays.
The only exception to this change in schedule will occur during June 29 through July 3. For this week only, staff will resume working eight-hour days, observing Friday, July 3, as the July 4 holiday.
The school system’s workweek will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Monday and end at 8 p.m. Thursday. Staff must work 10 hours per day, but will be allowed the flexibility to work with their supervisor in determining what those hours may be each day.
A 30-minute or one-hour lunch break may be taken. All school facilities will close at 8 p.m. Thursday and will not open again until 6:30 a.m. on Monday.
All central offices will be open to the public from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Each school will post its hours of operation on the school doors and Web sites. All offices will be closed on Fridays.
Community groups that use school facilities will adhere to the summer schedule. Groups that rent school facilities on weekends will pay all applicable fees.
In the event there has not been at least an inch of rain within five days, school athletic fields may be watered on either Monday or Tuesday.
This schedule change is an effort by school administrators to conserve resources in light of the budget cuts faced by the school system. Changing from a five-day to a four-day workweek and closing all buildings from Thursday evening until Monday morning will result in an estimated savings of between $165,000 and $194,000.
“We have been looking hard and deep at different ways to cut the costs of operating our school facilities,” said Gene Miller, assistant superintendent of operations for the system. “With schools not being in session during the summer months and having the flexibility to offer a four-day week, we will see a substantial cost savings associated with travel, HVAC and other utilities.”