JOHNSTON, Iowa — There's only one election day, and this semesters parent-teacher conferences were scheduled on the same day in the Johnston Community School District.
And some parents and teachers are worried about finding time to vote, with K-5 conferences scheduled to go until after the polls close on Nov. 7.
"Both my husband and I work a typical workday, and it's hard enough already to find time to try to fit into conferences, let alone time to vote on top of that, and still be attentive to all the work we need to do during the day. Not everybody has flexibility to take time off and not everybody can fit into the conference time slots too, so it's a lot to juggle for families," parent Niki Smith told Local 5.
Johnston is offering two days of conferences: Tuesday, Nov. 7 and Thursday, Nov. 9. However, parents are concerned this doesn't allow a lot of flexibility for teachers to step out to the polls.
"A lot of the teachers feel bad about taking people up on that opportunity because it's already hard enough to be a teacher in the school district, with just like regular absences, it's really hard to find subs," parent Sara Hayden Parris said.
Parris added there are teachers who don't live and vote in the Johnston district — and for those who have long commutes, it's difficult to leave work during the day.
The Johnston Community School District provided Local 5 with a statement that reads in part:
"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will work to accommodate any staff member who has a scheduling conflict or difficulty, so they are able to attend both important events."
The district also said the conferences were scheduled inadvertently previously, and created and approved by the district school board.
The district also says they are sending a letter to their staff to inform them of options including early, satellite or absentee voting.
However, parents are calling for future change.
"Voting should be easy, and we should try to break down any barriers that you have and that could be your work schedule, your family schedule, you should be able to have time to make an informed decision," Smith said.
For those still concerned about finding time to vote, you can still apply for an absentee ballot.