Independence voters choose to keep 4-day school week, backing district’s choice
Shortened school weeks are here to stay in Independence — for now.
Independence residents voted Tuesday night in favor of the four-day bell schedule implemented by the district in 2023, which is currently in its third year.
Tuesday’s decision affirms the Independence School District’s power to set an alternative bell schedule, putting the length of the school week in the school board’s hands for a decade.
The district is expected to keep a four-day week in place, but could still vote to revert to a five-day schedule anytime between now and 2036.
As polls closed Tuesday night, 61.64% of voters had cast their ballots in favor of the four-day school week. The district will continue to run on a schedule that eliminates classes on most Mondays while extending the length of the school day Tuesday through Friday.
In a statement shared with The Star Tuesday night, ISD public relations director Megan Dillard said that the district “respects and accepts the outcome” and thanked residents for turning out to the polls.
“We are proud of our students, families, staff, and community for their continued partnership and commitment to the success of every child in the Independence School District,” Dillard wrote.
State steps in
The Independence School Board first voted to implement the schedule in December 2022, making ISD the largest school district in Missouri to run on a four-day week. About a quarter of school districts statewide are on a four-day bell schedule, but most are small districts in rural areas.
Then last year, the Missouri General Assembly adopted legislation requiring districts in cities with more than 30,000 residents — notably, Independence — to secure voter approval for a four-day model.
Before the vote, the district presented the four-day week to ISD families as an issue of local control, suggesting that a vote for a four-day week would prove to state lawmakers that the district could “decide for itself.”
ISD leadership also cited teacher retention efforts as a primary advantage of the shortened program, and also referred to student test score data, which was trending upwards during the first full year of four-day instruction.
However, teachers themselves had a limited say at the polls. According to the Independence School Board, 46% of ISD staff members live outside city limits and were not eligible to vote on the four-day week
District support carries
The Independence School District came out in strong support of the four-day week ahead of the vote, formally endorsing it in mid-October.
In a statement shared Tuesday Night, Independence Board of Education President Carrie Dixon thanked voters for “engaging in the democratic process” and reaffirmed the district’s commitment to centering students, teachers and staff in educational policy.
“Together, we’ll continue building on our progress and working toward a future that reflects the best of who we are — a community united to inspire greatness within our students,” Dixon wrote.
Though the vote came down soundly in favor of the short week, parents and teachers previously expressed split perspectives on whether the short week helped or hurt families and learning styles.
Supporters of the four-day week told The Star that no-school Mondays allow their families additional flexibility to spend time together, pursue extracurricular activities and knock out errands. Opponents said that finding child care was a challenge, with some families losing access to resources distributed through schools and some parents feeling pressured to reduce their own work hours.
Community members were also split on how the four-day week impacted instructional quality, with some parents and teachers reporting increased focus but others noticing burnout among younger students.
The Independence Council PTA — a coalition of parent-teacher associations across Independence schools — took a neutral stance on the four-day week. So did the Independence chapter of the National Education Association, under which ISD teachers are unionized.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 9:02 PM.
