Posted at: 09/29/2009 7:10 PM
By: Lorilyn Prestidge

Print Story  Email to a Friend

Schools Look Over Obama Suggestions

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- As a new school year is underway, students and faculty are reacting to remarks from President Obama on ways to rethink the school day.

That has school officials, parents, and students talking.

In an effort to put U.S. students at the same level as students around the world, President Obama has suggested longer school days and less summer vacation time.

At Blooming Prairie High School, officials believe more time may help.

"Anytime you provide more education to these students i think it would help, especially with the young ages," said Superintendent of Blooming Prairie school district Barry Olson.

Science teacher Alison Mach says she sometimes runs out of time for lessons.

"We only have our 49 minutes and I would really appreciate having a two hour class period where we could do labs, and the kids could have more time to do hands on stuff and get outside and do investigations," said Science teacher Alison Mach.

Although it is only a suggestion by President Obama some are seeing the positives.

"Its hard when you have three months break cause when the students come back you feel like you spend the first months refreshing everything," said Mach.

But the idea of more time in the classrooms is also raising concerns.

"The funding has to be there before we can do that, if it's a unfunded mandate it's just going to hurt schools even more,” said Olson.

It costs Blooming Prairie district roughly 20 thousand a day to run the school, and they have had to cut three hundred thousand dollars from their budget.

"If you had the funding at the appropriate level from the federal government and state government then you could look at some creative things to help," said Olson.

And right now, parents and students have mixed feelings on the suggestion.

"More education would not hurt," said mother Mary Workey.

"Some people have jobs during the summer, they won't be able to have those," said student Kelli Naatz.

"I'd could actually learn more because I’d have the teacher if I ever got confused," said Spencer Jones.

The U.S. and Minnesota Department of Education says the suggestion is only talk at this point and nothing has been flushed out and that includes funding.