District in Western MO OKs 4-Day School Week

An Education Blogger Writes About the Pros and Cons of a Shortened School Week:

“The three-day weekend isn’t just for the occasional holiday anymore. For one hundred school districts in at least sixteen states, the school week is now only four days long because the rising cost of fuel has made busing kids too expensive. Proponents of the shorter school week (which typically has longer daily hours to make up for the lost day) say it not only saves on fuel and energy costs but also often leads to lower rates of absenteeism and, in some cases, better student performance. Schools can also put the money they save toward programs and staff that might otherwise be cut. Opponents of the four-day week argue that it places a burden on working parents, who now need to find child care on the fifth day. They also say it cuts down on time for extracurricular activities. And those who’d like to see children spend more time in school worry that this practice moves education further away from that ideal.” – Sara Ring, www.edutopia.org