Can You Imagine Your Kids Going to School 4 Days a Week?
In the summer, our school district’s central office moves to a 4-10 work week (4 days a week for 10 hours) to save energy and give employees longer weekends, an idea that originated during the 1970’s energy crisis. Some schools have tried a similar schedule during the school year, in which children go to school four days a week instead of five days. As a parent and a teacher, I like this idea in order to give familes personal time. As an environmentalist, it makes sense to cut down on energy use and transportation costs with such an alternative schedule.
Approximately 100 rural schools in the United States have adopted a four day a week school schedule, mostly to save fuel costs where buses travel up to 100 miles a day. Districts are reporting up to a ten percent savings on fuel and four percent savings on facilities energy use. I know from personal experience on our district’s budget committee that transportation is the largest expenditure in the entire budget (more than teacher’s salaries, etc.)
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Saving fuel and energy is a great idea for strapped school districts, but states mandate the amount of minutes and sometimes days that children must attend school. A four day a week calendar means longer days for students to meet these minimum requirements. For the littlest ones, this is a concern from a developmental perspective. For oldest ones, the long day means not much is accomplished during the last hour of the day when fatigue and boredom set in.
In Custer, South Dakota, Superintendent Tim Creal says the school has saved an estimated one million dollars since they switched their calendar eight years ago. He believes children benefit, as they get more instructional time. In contrast, Lake Arthur School District went back to a five-day a week schedule after 12 years on the alternative calendar. Superintendent Michael Grossman says that two studies failed to show any academic improvement, because children were too tired by the end of the day. Other districts have demonstrated improved student attendance with a shorter week schedule.
I am not opposed to a longer school day if children are not assigned homework during the week. Homework has not been show to increase children’s learning, and if the school day was longer, there would be absolutely no time for this extra, busy work. Some parents have expressed concern for finding childcare on the fifth day when their child would normally be attending school, but as more businesses and states move to a four day work week, this will become a moot point. Of course, homeschooling may just be the most energy efficient way to educate your child.
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When we switched to a 4 day week in highschool back in the eighties, I believe they intended to save fuel costs. All I remember was getting homework done on Friday night or Saturday morning and skiing all day Sunday and Monday.(Winter Park, CO)
affy1, you had the life I dreamed of as a kid!
I like this idea! I don’t have children yet, but I remember being one like it was yesterday. And I whole heartedly agree, more homework is not the solution. More instruction would be great, as long as the teachers have a supportive community and don’t have to be “on” for 10 hours straight. This would make a great component of school reform…that is hopefully coming soon!
[...] school districts are cutting staff or increasing taxes. Others are even considering a 4 day school week to save on fuel costs. No matter how the budgets are ultimately balanced, it is hard for anyone to [...]
My district is considering this and I am against it 100%! what bout the kids who’s parents jobs aren’t 4 days a week? I work as a nurse in a 24/7 facility and no way I could do childcare on the extra day. My son will be home schooled or computer schooled if this happens in my district
I lived in a town were we had this it was actually good it did save money and there were less fight then average school now im typing a paper on this subject and im for it my students loved it but it is true some people cant find daycare especaily good daycare but yeah thats my opinon
As a teacher, I like the idea of a 4 day week. I’ve read the results of districts that have tried this idea, and I’ve liked most of the results. There is one thing I think would be more beneficial for the kids and teachers, though. Instead of lengthening the day quite so much, what about adding a few days to the year (less summer regression)? As for the childcare situation mentioned by another commenter, think about the summer. You have to do it then anyway. With a slightly longer school day, and a slightly longer school year, you’re not spending any more on childcare and it’s more spread out than one lump sum in the summer.
THEY CAN’T DOOO THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUK!!!!!! THEY WANNA RUIN THE KIDS LIVES JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE CHEAPSKATES!!!!!! AT MY SCHOOL THEY KEEP BUYING NEW EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT SO WHY DON’T THEY JUST STOP DOING THAT INSTEAD OF RUINING OUR SCHEDULE! DO YOU KNOW HOW TIRING IT WOULD BE TO GO TO SCHOOL FOR 10 HOURS!!!!! PLUS WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GONNA HAVE TIME TO DO WHEN WE GET HOME! NOTHING!! BECAUSE OUR WHOLE ENTIRE DAY WOULD BE TAKEN UP BY SCHOOL! ALL WE WOULD GET TO DO IS HOMEWORK! WHAT ABOUT KIDS WHO DO MUSIC! THEY WON’T HAVE TIME TO PRACTISE OR GO TO YOUTH SYMPHONY OR BAND! WHAT ABOUT KIDS WHO VOLUNTEER, DRAW, OR DO SPORTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS SOOOOOOOOO EVIL!! ALL YOU GUYS THAT ARE SUPPORTING THIS ARE IDIOTS!
well i think this is a great idea!!!!!!!!!!!
im a Jr. high school student in utah and i would love to have a # day weekend! that would be so pimpin!!! and those of u who think the 10 hrs. of school wouldnt be worth it… u guys need to look at the bright side, we would have longer classes meaning more time to do work and that equals NO HOME WORK!!!!!! that would be SO PIMPIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
[...] South Dakota switched to a four day week in 1995 and estimates they have saved one million dollars. (Lance,2008) The schools that do have the four day week have reported better class attendance by both teachers [...]