West Plains Schools will operate on a half-day schedule on Friday to accommodate this year’s Homecoming celebration.
The scheduling change follows a districtwide survey of parents, guardians, district staff and West Plains High School students. Respondents were asked to choose between continuing with a full school day, moving to a half-day schedule or canceling school on Homecoming Friday and making up the instructional time later in the year.
Results across all three surveyed groups were overwhelmingly in favor of a half day. District leadership finalized the decision after reviewing the feedback and considering factors such as supervision, attendance, transportation and the overall Homecoming experience, noting that student safety was the primary consideration.
The early dismissal will allow students to attend morning classes while giving families flexibility to make plans for the annual Homecoming parade, scheduled for 1 p.m. in downtown West Plains.
While the district stated that specific half-day dismissal times and additional details would be communicated prior to Friday, recently released Spirit Week schedules indicate West Plains Elementary will dismiss at 10:45 a.m. and South Fork Elementary will dismiss at 11:15 a.m.
District officials expressed appreciation for the community members who participated in the survey, stating the overwhelming support provided valuable insight in determining the best path forward for the tradition that brings together students, families, alumni, staff and the community.
