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More school districts consider four-day week

Posted at 2:22 PM on 25 Jul 2008

As energy costs rise, rural school districts across the country may follow the lead of the 100 or so schools in 16 states that offer classes just four days a week. Cutting out a day of heating, cooling, and transportation fuel -- which can be significant in spread-out districts where school buses might travel 100 miles round trip each day -- allows schools to put funds toward valuable programs and staff. Advocates say four-day weeks can also improve student attendance and performance (though at least one district switched back to a five-day week after concluding that effective teaching and learning dropped off at the end of an extended day). Kentucky's Webster County School District switched to a four-day week in 2004, and has cut total costs by 3.5 to 4 percent. "If we were to go back to a five-day week," says Superintendent James Kemp, "the school board and I would be run out of town."

sources: Reuters, VOA News
see also, in Grist: State workers in Utah will enjoy mandatory three-day weekends

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Comments: (4 comments)

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large high schools

-And for large suburban/urban districts I think the time of the large high school where 80% of the students drive to school is over. We should return to community based K-12 schools where most of the students walk to school.

eddy out, redboat

by redboat at 9:49 AM on 27 Jul 2008

the parents

And parents everywhere are wondering how they'd manage their kid being home one day a week, I bet.

But if we ALL move to a 4 day work week, where the parents are home that same day telecommuting, or growing a garden or what have you, it could be a good thing all the way 'round.

Erik

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by Erik Hoffner at 8:35 AM on 29 Jul 2008

partly right, partly red herring

Many adults fade in the latter part of a long work day -- can't imagine it'd be any different for kids. Schools could avoid this while still going with a 4-day schedule by dropping the stuff that has nothing to do with education, eg. "gym" (aka "phys ed"). An argument can be made that kids should be taught how to swim in school, but the rest isn't remotely educational.

The issue of child care for parents is significant. I telecommute and could adapt, but we're not going to see telecommuting rates climb significantly anytime soon. Quite a few jobs don't lend themselves to it, but for the ones that do, corporate reluctance to change, and dependence on telecommuting-hostile tools (eg. Microsoft OS's) are a big roadblock.

by anthony11 at 10:22 AM on 29 Jul 2008

Anthony11, why drop gym?

Our adults are in bad enough shape, why would you want to drop gym class. A point when children can learn the benefits of a sound body and a sound mind.

by jburkerosser at 6:25 AM on 30 Jul 2008

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