As schools face ever-tightening budgets and teacher shortages, more Midwestern districts are switching to a four-day school week.
District leaders say the switch to a four-day school week helps improve the mental and physical health of students, teachers and staff. School districts also save a modest amount of money on transportation and other costs.
For parents, especially those who work, a shortened school week might create challenges related to child care and food insecurity. Some families have embraced the four-day school week, saying it enables them to spend more quality time with their children, travel and pursue extracurricular activities and hobbies.
For teachers, four-day school weeks can be a lifeline in a profession that has become more challenging since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some educators say a four-day school week has improved overall wellness. Other educators worry about long-term academic achievement lags among their students.
For business owners and employers, four-day school weeks might mean employees are absent frequently on Mondays or Fridays to care for children. Some business leaders worry that students might have trouble adjusting to the real world of five-day working weeks, while others believe flexible work schedules are the future.
If any of this sounds like you, we want to learn more. Please share your experiences and observations about the four-day school week in your school district.
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METHODS
For this article, reporter Nicole Grundmeier drew on her previous reporting and that of other reporters to provide context for the survey request
REFERENCES
A multi-state, student-level analysis of the effects of the four-day school week on student achievement and growth (Economics of Education Review, June 2024)
Facing a staff shortage, Independence considers a 4-day school week (KCUR, Aug. 9, 2022)
Independence has switched to a 4-day school week. What do families need to know? (KCUR, Aug. 21, 2023)
More schools are adopting 4-day weeks. For parents, the challenge is day 5 (The Associated Press, Sept. 25, 2023)
Number of Iowa school districts with 4-day weeks tripled in one year (The Midwest Newsroom, Dec. 12, 2024)
TYPE OF ARTICLE
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