Today’s Washington Post reports that school jurisdictions around the country are running into so many funding problems that some have chosen to go to the 4 day school week to cut back on expenses:
North Branch, Minn. — Pressed for dollars, a growing number of public schools are doing what many educators once considered unimaginable: eliminating an entire school day each week.
At least 292 school districts nationwide have a four-day week, according to a Washington Post survey, more than double the 120 estimated two years ago.
That’s still a small fraction of the nation’s 15,000 school districts, but it’s one signal that this is shaping up to be a “cliff year” in American education as the evaporation of federal stimulus funds and other fiscal troubles force many schools to make dramatic cuts.
In this community just north of the Twin Cities, they already cut the drama club. And cheerleading, ski club and marching band. So many teachers have been laid off that some classrooms have 40 students and one high school guidance counselor juggles 550 students. When school officials couldn’t figure out what else to squeeze, they lopped off a day.
One such experiment in Virginia came about not because of funding issues but because of the earthquake in late August. Louisa County High School was condemned because it suffered extensive damage during the 5.9 earthquake. School officials had to make do with what they had so the high school kids now go to school at the middle school Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. The middle school goes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The teachers and kids apparently love the new arrangement. School takes in from 8 – 5 pm. The parents supposedly hate it. The Louisa County kids probably are not getting the full state mandated times in. However, it cannot be helped at this point.
What are the advantages of a 4 day week? 1 day fewer bus runs, 1 less day to crank up climate control, 1 less day to pay hourly workers like cafeteria servers to name a few places to save. Certainly readers will think of more savings.
