In an effort to reduce costs, American school districts are increasingly adopting a reduced weekly schedule. Students pay the price.
Considering all that American school children have missed during the pandemic, it would seem obvious that they should spend more time in the classroom to catch up on learning. However, a growing number of school districts across the country are doing the opposite by moving to a four-day school week. Proponents of the concept argue that the changes will help schools save money and attract and retain teachers. But it will also inevitably leave young Americans without new knowledge.
The vast majority of students still have to attend school Monday through Friday, but four-day weeks are growing in popularity. Since last year, 1,600 public schools in 25 states have adopted a four-day work week, six times more than in 1999.
Before the pandemic, this practice was mainly limited to rural areas. For example, more than half of Idaho’s school districts use a four-day work week. It has since spread to cities as schools expand distance learning and experiment with hybrid schedules. In Texas, more than 60 counties allow a four-day work week, including suburbs outside of Dallas and Houston.
Proponents of the change cite several potential benefits. Specifically, it could help counties save on transportation, food, and maintenance costs, keeping more money in the budget. In turn, students get an extra day to work, complete an internship, or participate in extracurricular activities. At a time when counties across the United States are reporting teacher shortages, the four-day week is seen as a way to make teaching more competitive with jobs that offer flexible work hours.
The problem is that today there is little evidence to support any of the concepts. Schools that take the day off usually compensate with a longer school day. As a result, teachers and staff receive roughly the same salary. Savings from the shorter week are minimal, ranging from 0.4% to 2% of annual county budgets, according to one estimate. Although the four-day week seems to increase teachers’ job satisfaction. In any case, the States have not yet decided.
