The educational institutions in our society are ever changing. We’ve gone from tiny one-room schoolhouses to massive brick structures with gymnasiums and lunchrooms; from strictly structured study halls to modular scheduling to on-line self-study. But one thing never seems to change— our schools never seem to have enough money.
One of the latest proposals to save money for School District 166 is the possibility of changing to a four-day school week—something unimaginable when I was in school back in the 1960s – mid–1970s. However, as schools see deeper and deeper budget cuts, administrators are looking for creative ways to keep schools going.
The idea really isn’t new. An Internet search brings up information on schools in a number of states that have already gone to four-day school weeks. Colorado was one of the first states to implement four-day school weeks in the 1980s. New Mexico, Idaho, and Wyoming followed suit, as primarily rural areas sought ways to reduce energy costs.
According to a March 2010 article in the Wall Street
Journal,
of the nearly 15,000- plus school districts nationwide, more than 100 in at least 17 states currently use the four-day system.
How do they do it? Schools drop a weekday by lengthening the time spent in school on the remaining days—by adding an hour in the morning or afternoon or by adding 30 minutes to both the beginning and end of the day. Others with a full hour for lunch have shortened it.
Some schools that have enacted the four-day school week take off Mondays, but most close school on Friday to facilitate sports and activity travel. There are a few schools that have a four-day school week only in the winter. And a few schools have a modified four-day school week, taking off every other Friday.
There are hundreds of essays and opinion pieces detailing the pros and cons of the shorter week.
The bottom line for most school districts seems to be money. With a four-day school week, there are lower heating costs, lower fuel costs for transportation, and decreased bus maintenance. However, it also appears to benefit students involved in sports and other extra-curricular competitions— those activities can be scheduled on the “off” day. Some teachers report that they appreciate the extended days with added classroom time. Some parents prefer the fourday week as it allows time for appointments or family trips.
However, there are probably just as many editorials and studies detailing the downside of four-day school weeks. Some parents report that the school day is too long and students get too tired. It can be harder for special-needs students. And some teachers find it difficult to plan activities for longer classes. Some families struggle with increased daycare costs.
To further confuse the matter, there are also reports that show no evidence that the four-day week makes any difference at all.
So, what should our school district do? I hope everyone— especially parents and grandparents— will take time to do a little research. Find out for yourself how the four-day school week has worked for other schools. Talk to our local teachers. What do they think about it?
School District 166 has held a couple of information meetings on this idea. Hopefully you attended one and asked questions. If you didn’t, you still can. The next meetings will be from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 17 at the Hovland Town Hall; Tuesday, May 18 at Birch Grove Community Center; and Thursday, May 20 at the Jane Mianowski Conference Center at ISD 166.
If you want to learn more, if you have an opinion to express, do it now.
In a world that is constantly
changing, there is no one
subject or set of subjects
that will serve you for the
foreseeable future, let alone
for the rest of your life. The
most important skill to acquire
now is learning how to learn.
John Naisbit
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