Students enrolled in Kalispell Public Schools will be released two hours early on Wednesdays, starting Nov. 11. This is meant to provide time for teachers to tackle the additional duties of supporting students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The measure was unanimously approved by school board trustees on Tuesday.

Early-release Wednesdays will go through Jan. 20.

Beyond teaching in the classroom during the regular school day, many teachers are spending an additional five to 10 hours a week preparing lessons, grading, and providing other support to students who are at home because they have COVID-19 or are in quarantine after being identified as a close contact. The amount of work varies depending on how many students are out of school quarantining.

Kalispell Superintendent Micah Hill noted the district’s substitute shortage has resulted in staff increasingly being asked to cover other classrooms when teachers are absent due to COVID-19. Compared to around this time last year, he said there is a 35% increase in staff covering for colleagues.

While early releases may alleviate the burden of COVID-19-related responsibilities, there are some downsides Hill said he considered.

“One of those is there’s a loss of instructional time. Two hours a week. If you start adding that up over 30 weeks that’s a pretty significant chunk of time, but then if the anxiety level and stress level is high are they [teachers] going to be as good at their job on a day-to-day basis if they’re being consumed with all these other things we’re asking them to do?” Hill said.

The district also considered the effect on families.

“We said we want to be in-person full-time and we’re doing that for the most part, but on Wednesdays you have to figure out what to do with your kids on those days,” Hill said. “It’s a hard one. How do you support staff, encourage them, give them the time they need [and balance that] with the impact it will have on our community.”

The district plans to evaluate whether or not to continue with the early releases in December.

“I would like to, at some point in December, survey our staff and ask them, is this working? Is it helping? Is this providing the relief that you need in order to be able to work with students?” Hill said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.