Four Day Week: New Future For Education?

commentary by Shelby Till | September 07, 2011

With a majority of U.S. school districts short on funds, there has been a recommended solution that will save money, yet still provide a well-rounded education for students of all academic levels. Many are beginning to consider a new school schedule that allows students and teachers to attend class only four days a week.

This idea has brought a lot of controversy to the table; however, this may be the best solution for these hard economic times. Even though students would only have class four days a week, they would not lose instructional hours because the school day would be increased anywhere from 50 to 90 minutes each day. By lengthening school hours and getting rid of one day of classes each week, education officials believe they could save a tremendous amount of money on areas such as transportation, food supplies and utilities.

Some of the most recent states that have decided to make the change to a four-day school week include Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. In Colorado alone, there are approximately 60 districts that have started a four-day school week this academic school year. According to The National School Boards Association, roughly 120 school districts in the United States are using, or in the process of incorporating, a four-day school week nationwide. A majority of those 120 school districts are in located in the south and west regions of the country; however, the four-day school week is beginning to catch on all over the country.

So will a four-day school week actually work? Well, there are a number of both pros and cons, but research shows that this idea may be the way of the future. Obviously, this system may not work for every school district or every school, but those districts that have used it have been pleased.

The Pros:

Research has shown that many of the schools who have implemented this system have witnessed improved attendance with both the students and the teachers. Studies have also shown that even though students are only attending school four days a week, their grades have not gone down. Many believe that this is a result of longer instructional periods during day, which may help students retain the material quicker. Many districts have seen test scores and classroom participation improve, while disobedience and disciplinary referrals have decreased.

Many schools districts have been using the new day off, once a month, for employee professional development, while others help small groups of at-risk students by giving them one-on-one attention with an instructor to hopefully get them back on track.

Every school who has gone to four-day school weeks have been able to save some money within transportation, utilities, food supplies, and the employee pay areas. Research from various school districts show that by switching to a four-day school week, districts are saving anywhere from $102,000 to over $4.5 million each year.

A number of teachers are also seeing children come to class more well-rested and ready to focus and learn the material. Student's stress levels have dropped and students are much more positive about going to school, knowing that it is only a four-day week. Another interesting advantage is using the extra day for various appointments for students that would normally take up school time.

A survey taken in July by a Pelican Rapids, Minnesota school district show that 94 percent of students, 95 percent of school employees and 81 percent of parents said they hope that four-day weeks continue.

The Cons:

Education officials in several school districts that have utilized four-day school weeks, warn that the system may not be the whole solution for struggling school budgets. For instance, even though a school may not have students come to school on a Friday; utilities are still kept on because the school is still a meeting place for the community and athletic competitions.

Another concern by many, especially working parents, are trying to find extra child care for the fifth work day. Many parents are worried about being able to find and afford the extra child care costs. Parents are also in fear that students — especially one at younger levels, such as elementary school — may not be able to handle a longer school day without getting tired or worn out.

The biggest concern by many is how the four-day school week will affect low-income children who are able to stay out of trouble because they are in school. In a recent Casey Foundation study results show that "1 in 5 American children lives in poverty," with researchers finding 14.7 million children were poor in 2009, amounting to 2.5 million more than 2000, "and predictions of more than 20 million children now living in poverty in America." With that being said, many fear that students who have an extra day off will not be able to get the same resources and extra-curricular activities as when they were attending school five days a week. We want to be sure that these children are able to have a quality education, as well as extra-curricular activities, so that they will stay out of trouble and continue to succeed.

So, no matter if you are for or against the four-day school week, we all must keep in mind that this may possibly be the new way of the future educational system. There are a lot of advantages to the four-day week, but there are also some concerns that should be addressed. In the end, we should agree on a school schedule that is most beneficial for our children and should find a solution that puts the students first.