Pekin Board Discusses New Bleachers and 4-Day Week

PACKWOOD – During the Jan. 17 meeting of the Pekin School Board, the board approved spending $128,385 to replace the home and visitor bleachers at the football field, which are a safety hazard. The school has received complaints about people falling on the bleachers for years. Superintendent Derek Phillips noted that he himself had “fallen hard” on the bleachers once. The new bleachers will cut 40 seats, reducing the number of seats from 480 to 440, but will add handicap seating. It was noted that there are only 28 kids on the football team, 11 of whom will graduate this year, meaning the district may not need as many seats. The installation of the new bleachers is planned for this summer, after track season ends but before football season begins.

The board also talked about possibly switching to a four-day school week. A survey has been sent out to staff, parents and students to see if the community is in favor of the shortened week. A link to this survey can be found on the district’s Facebook page. The survey ends on Jan. 31. According to the school, a shortened week would give students extra time for school work, family time, extracurriculars or employment, and possibly improve enrollment, attendance, test scores and staff retention. It will also save the district money on food, electricity and transportation costs. The board discussed how the new schedule will work, with eight period days, block scheduling and longer school days given as possible options.