KSHB 41 reporter Fe Silva covers education stories involving K-12. Share your story idea with Fe.
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For the first time in its history, the Independence School District achieved "on target" or "exceeding" in student academic growth in every subject and in every grade level.
Data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education showed the progress from the district.
They say the four-day week is directly connected to the result.
Mercedes Mendoza has been teaching in the Independence School District for more than two decades.
She said the new schedule is one of the reason for her students' improved performance.
"There is no way they could have produced 10 years ago what they can produce now," Mendoza said.
Illary Soto is a senior in the district, and she agrees.
"I now just have time to better balance myself, to focus on and work on my education," Soto said. "It just gives you time to breathe."
The school district says their state assessment scores prove what Soto and Mendoz are talking about.
"I'm just really very proud of our students and staff," Independence School District Superintendent Dale Herl said.
According to him, the schedule helps with filling teacher and staff positions.
"We had a lot more teacher applicants, so we had a bigger pool to choose from," Herl said. "We were able to retain a lot of teachers."
Mendoza and Illary say the impacts of the schedule were also felt outside the classroom.
"It's just making my life better, brighter and more fun," Mendoza said.
A fun and positive result they are hoping to replicate next spring.
"We're going to be able to show that it wasn't a fluke," Herl said.
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