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Four-Day School Week Vote
On November 4, 2025, residents of the Hallsville School District will be asked to decide whether the district can continue on a four-day school week. This vote is required under a new state law, Section 171.028 RSMo, passed as part of Senate Bill 727. The ballot language will read:
"Shall the school board of Hallsville R-IV School District adopt the provisions of Section 171.028, RSMo, establishing a four-day school week for the next ten years in the district of Hallsville?"
☐ YES ☐ NO
A 'yes' vote allows the Hallsville School District to continue operating on a four-day school week, pending approval by the Board of Education. The 2026-2027 district calendar, approved by the Board of Education in September 2025, would be allowed.
A “no” vote means the Hallsville School District would be required by state law to return to a five-day school week with at least 169 instructional days each year.
Since transitioning to a four-day week at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, Hallsville students have continued to meet high academic standards, and instructional hours have remained consistent with the traditional five-day calendar. Academic achievement scores have remained highly competitive, showing no decline since the transition. The four-day schedule supports the district’s goal of recruiting and retaining exceptional teachers, providing time to collaborate and plan effectively, and helping maintain the level of high-quality instruction families have come to expect from Hallsville Schools.
Why must Hallsville vote?
Most Missouri school districts have local control over their school calendar. However, Section 171.028 RSMo states that only school districts located wholly or partly in a county with a charter form of government or in a city with more than 30,000 residents must obtain voter approval to continue the four-day school week. Because less than 0.05% of Hallsville’s boundaries (about 235 acres) fall within the City of Columbia, Hallsville is required to place this question on the November 4 ballot.
Neighboring districts, such as Sturgeon, Harrisburg, and Southern Boone (which is currently exploring a four-day school week), will not have to hold a vote and will continue to decide their calendars locally. This is because no part of their school district boundaries fall within the City of Columbia.
Map of Hallsville School District
The Hallsville School District boundaries are outlined in purple. The shaded area near the bottom shows the 0.05% of our district that falls within the City of Columbia.
Recruiting and Retaining the Best Teachers for Hallsville Students
The Hallsville School District transitioned to a four-day school week at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year as one tool to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Each year, the district continues to attract, on average, 88 teacher applicants, with an average of 5–6 candidates for every open position, which is a strong showing in today’s competitive hiring market. Exit feedback also shows that 89–100% of staff leaving Hallsville each year would recommend the district, and 100% of new hires to the district recently stated that the four-day school week influenced or strongly influenced their decision to pursue employment with the Hallsville School District. Together, this shows that the four-day school week is helping Hallsville continue to attract applicants, hire more experienced teachers, and give students the stability they deserve
In the 2022-23 school year, 52% of Hallsville’s new teacher hires were veterans who brought prior classroom experience. By the 2025-26 school year, the number had grown to nearly 94%, indicating a clear shift toward hiring experienced educators after the implementation of the four-day school week. On average, these veteran hires have brought 7–11 years of prior service, raising the overall expertise in classrooms from day one.
The average years of service being brought in by experienced teachers is 7-11 years of teaching experience.
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What happens if the four-day school week does not pass?
If the four-day school week does not pass, the Hallsville School District Board of Education will lose local control of its school calendar. Instead of the Board of Education being able to create a calendar that best meets the needs of our students, staff, and families, the district would be required by state law to return to a five-day week with 21 additional school days.
The state would provide a 1% salary increase for teachers (about $630 a year), but this funding would only offset a portion of the added costs. Returning to a five-day week would raise district operating expenses by approximately $186,400 per year and limit the district’s financial flexibility in providing extensive academic opportunities for Hallsville students.
An example of the 2026-2027 five-day school calendar is available for families to view. The five-day calendar would include 169 instructional days and 1,104 instructional hours, with one PLC day each month. The school day would be slightly shorter (6 hours 33 minutes), and start and end times would shift by about 10–30 minutes.
The Financial Impact of Returning to Five Days
While the state does provide some additional funding for districts that return to a five-day school week, that money is limited to teacher salaries and does not cover other costs. A five-day calendar would require the district to pay more for hourly staff, transportation, utilities, and food service, creating significant new expenses. In short, the funding increase would not balance out the overall financial impact on Hallsville’s budget.
Will the district receive more funding by switching to a five-day school week?
Yes, teachers will receive a 1% salary increase in the 2026-2027 school year and a 2% salary increase in all subsequent years.
State law (SB 727) provides a small increase in state funding for districts with at least 169 school days. Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, teachers would receive a 1% salary increase, equating to approximately $630 per teacher (before taxes and retirement). To earn this increase, teacher contracts would be extended by 21 days to meet the state-mandated 169 school day requirement. Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year and all subsequent years, teachers would receive a 2% salary increase.
However, this money cannot be used for anything else. The district would still have to cover the added costs of paying hourly staff, running buses, utilities, and food service for 21 more days. These costs are estimated at nearly $186,400 each year, not including utilities and food service. Because Hallsville already receives some of the lowest per-pupil funding in Missouri, these added expenses would create a significant strain on the district’s budget.
How will the district’s budget be impacted by the five-day school week?
Returning to a five-day week would raise district operating expenses by approximately $186,400 per year and limit the district’s financial flexibility in providing extensive academic opportunities for Hallsville students.
Hourly employees, including paraeducators, aides, secretaries, assistants, crossing guards, and substitutes, as well as transportation, would all require additional pay for 21 more school days. These added costs are estimated at approximately $186,400 and do not include utilities, food service, or other operational expenses that would also rise with a longer calendar.
While the state provides additional funding for districts that operate at least 169 days, this money must be used exclusively for teacher salaries. For Hallsville, starting in 2026–2027, this would mean about a 1% raise for teachers (roughly $630 per teacher before taxes and retirement), tied to extending their contracts by 21 days (about $30 per day). However, this funding does not cover the additional expenses for hourly staff or district operations, which the district would have to absorb despite already limited resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
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"Shall the school board of Hallsville R-IV School District adopt the provisions of Section 171.028, RSMo, establishing a four-day school week for the next ten years in the district of Hallsville?"
☐ YES ☐ NO
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Under Section 171.028 RSMo, any district located wholly or partly in a county with a charter form of government or in a city with more than 30,000 residents must hold a public vote to continue a four-day week. Because about 235 acres, or less than 0.05%, of Hallsville’s boundaries fall within the City of Columbia, our district is included in this requirement.
Neighboring districts such as Sturgeon, Harrisburg, and Southern Boone (which is currently exploring a four-day school week) will not have to hold a vote and will continue to have local control over their school calendars. This is because no part of their district boundaries fall within the City of Columbia, so they are not subject to the law.
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Under Section 171.028, RSMo, the four-day school week question passes with a majority of votes cast. In other words, more than half of voters (50% plus one) must mark “Yes” on the ballot for the measure to be approved.
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All Boone County voters can absentee vote at the Government Center between:
October 21, 2025 - November 3, 2025Election Day:
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 -
The November 4th Special Election is only for voters who reside within the city of Hallsville or the school district of Hallsville. There are three polling places available on Election Day and voters can vote at any of the three locations:
Boone County Government Center at 801 E. Walnut;
Missouri National Guard HQ at 5151 Roger I Wilson Dr; and
Hallsville Baptist Church at 115 Elizabeth St.Last day to register to vote if you're registering in Missouri for the first time: October 8
Last day to request a mailed absentee ballot: October 22