‘The lazy way out’: Four-day school weeks are not the answer to rural school issues, expert says

More school districts west of the Mississippi are implementing four-day school weeks (4DSWs), but other states are cracking down on the policy, arguing a shortened week harms students’ learning and academic performance.

Across the country, at least 26 states and more than 2,100 districts have adopted the model, said ExcelinEd, a nonprofit think tank founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush that supports education reform.

“Thinking that this four-day school week is an answer to the problem that districts have, without exhausting the host of other options that districts could think about, and that states could support, is the lazy way out,” Cara Candal, the organization’s vice president, told Heartlander News.

Schools cite tightening budgets and declining teacher retention as reasons for switching to a four-day week, the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) found. Some schools add up to 50 minutes of instructional time each day to make up for the missing Monday or Friday, according to one study. Some teachers say 4DSWs give them more time to prepare lessons and allow them to teach material in greater depth, the National Conference of State Legislatures said.

Rural schools account for 90% of four-day models nationwide. These schools are particularly likely to adopt 4DSWs because many of their students come from lower-income families or face other disadvantages, Candal said.

Busing also can be a challenge for rural schools because communities are spread out. Many parents may favor 4DSWs because they have difficulty getting their children to school, Candal said.

“Our country is woefully behind in thinking through the softer side of what it means to get kids to a place where they can receive instruction,” she added.

The four-day trend stems from districts focusing on “admin logistics” over their actual purpose: education, Candal said in a blog post. She encouraged states to help districts find solutions instead of allowing children to bear the consequences of budget cuts and administrative issues.

“Losing instructional time for kids is not a way to solve budgetary problems,” she said. “Instead, we need to look to our states to create policy environments that will provide a different set of supports for rural districts, and for any district that feels that they should move to a four-day school week.”

Candal suggested eliminating teaching certificates for subjects other than math and English, making it easier for professionals, such as scientists, to teach for a few years in public schools without additional education. She also said simplifying the process of becoming a part-time teacher could make the profession more accessible and attractive.

In 2022, 141 school districts in Missouri and 25 school districts in Kansas had transitioned to four-day school weeks, the Kansas City Star reported. Independence School District in Missouri, an urban district with 14,000 students, transitioned to a 4DSW in 2022, citing teacher shortages. It said teacher retention was slipping and hoped the shorter week would make working there more attractive. The switch slightly increased school spending, according to the district’s website.

As the four-day model spreads, other larger communities are adopting it. Colorado’s largest metro school district, 27J, implemented the model in 2019. The district’s website says it “manages its time more closely, meets education expectations while giving families the gift of time.”

“Families maintain a quality work-life balance and the flexibility to support good mental health habits,” the district says.

But Candal disputed that claim, saying no evidence shows better mental health outcomes under a 4DSW.

“We don’t have any data to say it improves kids’ mental health. In fact, quite the opposite,” she said, adding that the positive spin on the four-day model is the school district trying to justify a structure that weakens students’ math and reading retention.

While many states are embracing shortened weeks, some are more cautious. As of July 1, Indiana law requires school districts to meet several criteria before they can adopt the schedule: They must earn an A grade in the state’s A-F school accountability system, meet the minimum teacher salary of $45,000 a year and offer remedial and extracurricular opportunities free of charge on the “fifth day,” according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Candal said she was encouraged by Indiana’s new law, adding that states need to remain vigilant because of the negative effects of four-day school weeks.

“What we are losing [with the 4DSW model] is incredibly valuable time, instructional time for kids, and quite often the kids who need more instructional time the most are the ones who are losing out,” she said. “What we are gaining is nothing. That’s just the long and short of it.”