Shift in school days has both pros and cons
Is it time to consider a four-day school week?
An elementary school in Indiana is making an unusual switch.
Starting in August, the students at Vinton Elementary School in Lafayette will move to a four-day school week.
According to a Fox News report, the class schedule will run from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays.
“This adjustment comes after careful consideration and planning, aiming to enhance the overall educational experience for our students while promoting a healthy work-life balance for families and staff alike,” the board said in a recent press release.
“Lafayette School Corp. is thrilled about the opportunities this transition presents for our school community. We believe that the four-day week will not only provide students with enhanced learning experiences but also allow for more meaningful family time and opportunities for extracurricular activities. Together, we are embarking on an exciting journey toward a brighter future for our students and families.“
It’s a massive change. But while the school is the first in Indiana to go this route, it’s far from the first in the nation.
According to an October report on NPR, around 900 school districts across the U.S. have school weeks that are just four days long. That’s about 7% of all districts in the U.S.
There are a variety of reasons behind the shift. According to NPR, schools are facing teacher shortages, struggling to fill spots.
With the four-day work week, teachers are able to have a three-day weekend – without a pay cut, NPR notes.
PBS reports that districts making the move tend to be in rural and western parts of the U.S., noting that cost savings also play a role.
“An analysis by the Economic Commission of the States found such savings were modest, totaling 0.4% to 2.5% of their annual budgets,” PBS notes.
Some families are fans of the shift. PBS says it allows families to adjust for extracurricular activities, and in some cases, such as family farms, kids are able to help more at home.
Other families note the shift is burdensome, creating a new need for child care on the extra day off.
And PBS notes the impact on academics and student learning has been “murky,” although in cases where the school days are lengthened to make up time, some studies show test scores aren’t impacted.
There is an argument to be made for quality of life. The daily school grind can be really tough, both on parents and students. Compressing it to four days – even if the days themselves are a little longer – would allow kids to have a three-day weekend. At the high school level especially, we can see how that would be advantageous.
However, there are also cons. Many families would likely struggle with finding child care for younger students, particularly those in the early elementary school years.
Perhaps the balance would be a five-day school week for elementary school students, shifting to four days for middle and high school students. Those are years when it can be especially challenging to balance extracurricular activities and school, yet families don’t have the same pressure for child care for older children. Most teens can handle a day at home while their parents are at work.
But we’re curious, readers. What do you think of the four-day school week idea? Let us know. Send in your thoughts with a Letter to the Editor at letters@ yumasun.com.
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