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Pro 3: Being at school/work 4 days a week will save a lot of power.

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Pro 3: Being at school/work 4 days a week will save a lot of power.

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Unless you really, really love your job, you probably wouldn't complain about extending the weekend to three instead of two days, and research suggests that it might have some real benefits for the environment too.

Think about all the energy and emissions that could be saved if we were all spending one less day commuting to and from the office. And, with an extra day off, a stressed-out workforce would have more time take care of their mental health too.

As an example of just how considerable the savings of moving to a three-day weekend could be, in 2007, the US state of Utah extended government staff hours on Mondays through Thursdays. At the same time, they cut out working on Fridays entirely, saving US$1.8 million in energy costs in the first 10 months alone.

The idea was abandoned in 2011 after citizens complained that they couldn't access state services on a Friday, but the experiment demonstrated that with enough time to fine-tune the particulars, there's a whole lot of work-related power to be conserved.

"If employees are on the road 20 percent less, and office buildings are only powered four days a week, the energy savings and congestion savings would be enormous," lawyer John Langmaid, who investigated the possibility of three-day weekends in his own field , told Lynne Peeples at Scientific American.

Those savings could really add up over time.

As Alex Williams at Phys.org reports, economists David Rosnick and Mark Weisbrot estimate that a four-day week could have cut US carbon emissions by 3 percent between 1990 and 2002 - effectively getting the US close to reduction targets even before any other measures were added in.

And it's not just the environment that could benefit. A 2015 experiment with shorter working hours in Sweden saw improvements in employee health and productivity, with staff reported that they found themselves working more efficiently and spending less time on unnecessary emails and meetings.

Many experts have argued that cutting down the work week would lead to better physical and mental health for workers - longer hours have been linked to increased risk of strokes, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes - while more time to see family and friends means a better work/life balance and happier staff.

So when can we start this revolution in the working week? Well, perhaps not quite yet, because messing with the status quo and moving to a four-day working week could also introduce some problems.

Public health researcher Allard Dembe from Ohio State University has warned that compressing the same amount of work into a shorter timespan is a recipe for burnout and stress, rather than the opposite.

And, as the state of Utah discovered, the theoretical benefits don't always outweigh the actual practical downsides of not being available to customers and clients five days a week.

Ultimately, more research is still needed to determine just what the pros and cons of a three-day weekend are, both for us and the environment we live in. Or, we could just wait until robots start taking our jobs in ever greater numbers, and then we';; all have a lot more time on our hands.

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Here's How a 3-Day Weekend Could Benefit The Environment

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Unless you really, really love your job, you probably wouldn't complain about extending the weekend to three instead of two days, and research suggests that it might have some real benefits for the environment too. Think about all the energy and emissions that could be saved if we were all spending one less day commuting to and from the office.

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Pro 1: 9. It eliminates time wasting that is found in the 5-day school week.

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Pro 1: 9. It eliminates time wasting that is found in the 5-day school week.

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If you ask the average kid what they think about school, you'll get a very honest answer: "It's boring." From K-12, it can be difficult for students to stay engaged in the classroom during a 5-day school week. The schedule forces teachers to spend small blocks of time on specific topics without really being able to dig into in-depth issues.

At the same time, the constant back-and-forth for students limits the amount of fun they can have. Let's face it - our best school memories aren't from tests or pop quizzes. They're from moments we remember having fun, whether that was in the classroom, the playground, or the athletics field.

One way to address these issues is to shift the traditional school schedule into a 4-day week. Not only would this give everyone a 3-day weekend to enjoy, it would also limit the pressure on students and teachers to have a diversified learning experience in a compressed time period.

There are several major pros and cons of a 4-day school week which must be considered by school districts looking to make this kind of change. These are the key points that must be addressed first.

List of the Major Pros of a 4-Day School Week

1. Shorter school weeks can improve overall student attendance.

In 1995, 84 school districts were studied that had already implemented a 4-day school week. They were located in 7 western states in the U.S. and all but 13 of them identified themselves as being a rural school district. Just 11 of the districts had enrollments of more than 1,000 students. Those that had implemented the alternative scheduling found that student attendance could rise by more than 20. At the same time, teacher attendance rates also rose, which is a trend still seen in these districts, 20+ years later.

2. Alternative scheduling can reduce discipline issues for students.

According to ASCD, many disciplinary issues that students face come from scheduled transitions. This occurs because a large number of students are moving around the school campus. This issue occurs at all grade levels. In some situations, a single teacher may be responsible for over 100 students. By switching to a 4-day school week, the number of transitions can be reduced because more time can be spent on each subject. In return, the number of disciplinary measures can also be reduced. Some districts have seen their disciplinary issues decline by more than 70% in the first two years of implementing a 4-day schedule.

3. Students also perform better within the 4-day schedule.

When teachers operate under time constraints, in high-pressure situations, then they typically default to a lecture-based teaching style. Students that sit in lecture classrooms retain 10% or less of the information that is presented to them. A switch to a 4-day schedule gives teachers more time to use teaching styles that are more effective. Small group learning with discussion, for example, increases the information retention rate for students up to 80%. If practicums can be included with small group discussions, the retention rate can top 90% for some students. Those changes happen because students who are active participants in their learning have more fun in school.

4. The 4-day school week can reduce costs for some school districts.

One of the primary reasons why school districts, especially rural districts, save money when they shift to a 4-day schedule is because there are fewer transportation costs. The 4-day schedule eliminates one full driving day for the transportation department. That means one of the biggest expenses for the district is immediately cut by 20%. In the United States, $17.5 billion each year is spent on school bus transportation. That means the average cost, per student, is about $700. Cutting that by 20% means a savings of $4 billion, if implemented nationwide.

5. It is easier to recruit teachers and administrative staff with the 4-day work week.

The ability to offer a 3-day weekend, every weekend, is a powerful motivator for school districts that are recruiting for quality employees. The school districts in New Mexico are one of the best examples of this benefit. About 20% of the state's school districts incorporate a 4-day schedule of some kind. The districts which offer the 4-day work week receive more applications and more qualified applicants than the other school districts. That means the students in those districts have better opportunities to learn.

6. Alternative scheduling makes it easier to plan after-school events and activities.

In the standard 5-day school week, sports practices occur after school. Games occur in the evening, often on the weekend. Sometimes, schools are forced to travel during the school week to play some games or attend certain events. By shifting to a 4-day schedule, it becomes easier to transport students to all after-school events and activities because there is an extra day available to plan activities without running into mandatory school times.

7. It follows a schedule pattern that is similar to what a parent's schedule happens to be.

The average time for school that is scheduled in a 4-day week is either 7:30am-5pm or 8am-5:30pm. This schedule works much better for parents, who often have that working schedule themselves. Parents can drop-off their kids in the morning, then pick them up in the afternoon, without worrying about work. They can supervise their children at the bus stop in rural districts as well. That also means some families, with children who are old enough, can eliminate daycare expenses completely with this type of scheduling option.

8. It could improve student morale over the course of a school year.

Many companies have found that when workers are able to work a schedule which suits their needs, letting them work how they like, then their workers are more productive. Students follow the same type of pattern. Kids that go to schools with the 4-day week are often happier, stay happy throughout the school year, and look forward to going to school each day. There tends to be less student exhaustion, which allows them to focus more on the learning process.

9. It eliminates time wasting that is found in the 5-day school week.

In 2006, a study by Yarbrough and Gilman found that teachers working in a 5-day school schedule reported that they have a lot of wasted time. When shifted to a 4-day school week, they reported that they were forced to focus on instruction much more than they had previously. The schedule change also shifted how teachers assigned homework, making it more efficient and focused. When teachers are more effective and efficient, student performance follows a similar pattern.

10. It is a schedule to which every student is able to adjust.

One of the biggest concerns of a 4-day school week is the length of seat time that younger students must complete. When implemented, however, 1st graders do just as well as teens with the expanded schedule and 3-day weekend. It provides an extra day for actual rest to occur when it may be needed without compromising the remainder of the family schedule.

List of the Major Cons of a 4-Day School Week

1. Students already feel like their school day is too long.

Most students, especially younger ones, find that the traditional school schedule is already too long. Students usually go to school about 6 hours each day in most districts. With the 4-day schedule, another 1.5 hours is added to their school day, every day. That can make it difficult for some students to pay attention to the information being provided. When busing and after-school activities are included in that timeframe as well, some older students may find themselves putting in 12-hour days at school every day. That reduces the effective time they would have for homework once they actually make it home.

2. It can create scheduling concerns for many families.

Rural families experience the greatest impacts from the 4-day school week. If a student lives an hour outside of town and have an 8am school bell to meet, then they're on the bus at 7am. If school doesn't get out until 4pm, then the student makes it home at 5pm. That's two hours of lost time for farm chores, homework, or other responsibilities that rural families have more often than urban or suburban families.

3. The 4-day school week changes the holiday schedules as well.

For school districts following the 4-day school week, the Thanksgiving holiday usually receives a full week off instead of the final two days of the week. Christmas and Spring holiday weeks may be extended as well. Although families benefit from the 3-day weekend and those scheduling benefits, the non-traditional time off given to students can offset some of that savings. It almost forces some families into taking their vacation time from work during these holidays to accommodate the needs of their children.

4. Holiday schedules can be reduced, or eliminated, instead of increased for some districts.

Some school districts, particularly those that are in regions of the U.S. where snowfall creates a handful of cancellations each year, find that they are forced to reduce, if not eliminate, certain holidays or vacations. That may mean reducing Spring Break to 2 days instead of having the entire week off. It may eliminate common holidays, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, from the schedule. Some districts take just one week off at Christmas instead of two weeks because of these conflicts. That also makes scheduling problematic for many families.

5. Not every parent benefits from the 4-day school week.

Employment opportunities with a 3-day weekend are increasing. In the United States, about 50% of all companies are either offering or thinking about offering a 4-day workweek for their workers. Shorter work weeks can improve employment productivity and provide families with more meaningful time together. That means half of parents will enjoy the alternative school schedule and half will hate it. Their child is at home while they are at work, which is problematic for parents of younger children.

6. It really isn't going to be a true 4-day school week.

The only students who actually get to benefit from the 4-day school week are those that do not have any extra-curricular activities in which they are involved. Many school districts keep their administrative staff on school grounds all week long, though some allow half to take a Monday off, while the other half takes Friday off. Practices for sports are still held on the fifth day, as are teacher conferences, staff development opportunities, and required janitorial work. These actions often negate the benefits of the 3-day weekend because it really isn't a true 3-day weekend.

7. The 4-day school week struggles in urban school districts and large districts.

Rural school districts and small school districts benefit the most from a 4-day schedule because of their natural isolation. Many of these schools are already operating on an alternative schedule because that is what works best for their community. When larger school districts attempt this kind of schedule, they find few, if any, benefits coming from their actions. That is because larger districts offer more activities, manage more student events, and operate essentially 7 days per week during the school year anyway. It has been so problematic that in Colorado, some urban districts which switched to a 4-day school week have gone back to the traditional scheduling instead.

8. Not every school district saves money with the 4-day school week.

Webster County, Kentucky moved their school district to a 4-day week in 2003. Over the next three years, the school district was able to save 2% on their overall costs each year, for a total of $200,000. In Lexington, Oregon, Morrow County was able to save about $250,000 their first year, but out of a budget of $14 million. Custer School District, in rural South Dakota, believed they could save $70,000 with a 4-day school week. They saved 1.4%, or $45,000, instead.

9. It puts the school district out of sync with other districts.

Most school districts are sticking to the 5-day schedule. Going to the 4-day schedule can create scheduling conflicts with other districts, particularly with sporting events, performances, and groups like 4-H. There will be days, even with the best efforts of everyone involved, where a student is stuck with an after-hours activity, deep into the night, after being in class for most of the day.

10. Job opportunities become limited for high school students.

After-school jobs are a common way for teens to make money. Working a couple of hours after school gains experience and disposable income. The longer school days of a 4-day week make it almost impossible for teens to find a job after school. They just don't have time to get everything done. They do have a full day free for a job in some instances, but trying to find work on the weekends only, especially in a rural community, is never a guarantee - unless you don't mind working on a farm, that is.

The major pros and cons of a 4-day school week suggest that it can save money for districts, which means taxpayers benefit. It can help teachers and students better manage the process of learning. It also means that students face more daily seat time, in exchange for a 3-day weekend which may not materialize with their after-school commitments. Every community has their own unique requirements that must be addressed by school scheduling. For some, a 4-day week makes perfect sense. For others, perhaps not.

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20 Major Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week - BrandonGaille.com

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If you ask the average kid what they think about school, you'll get a very honest answer: "It's boring." From K-12, it can be difficult for students to stay engaged in the classroom during a 5-day school week. The schedule forces teachers to spend small blocks of time on specific topics without really being able to dig into in-depth issues.

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Con 1: Students already feel like their school day is too long.

# data[].attributes.subject
Con 1: Students already feel like their school day is too long.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you ask the average kid what they think about school, you'll get a very honest answer: "It's boring." From K-12, it can be difficult for students to stay engaged in the classroom during a 5-day school week. The schedule forces teachers to spend small blocks of time on specific topics without really being able to dig into in-depth issues.

At the same time, the constant back-and-forth for students limits the amount of fun they can have. Let's face it - our best school memories aren't from tests or pop quizzes. They're from moments we remember having fun, whether that was in the classroom, the playground, or the athletics field.

One way to address these issues is to shift the traditional school schedule into a 4-day week. Not only would this give everyone a 3-day weekend to enjoy, it would also limit the pressure on students and teachers to have a diversified learning experience in a compressed time period.

There are several major pros and cons of a 4-day school week which must be considered by school districts looking to make this kind of change. These are the key points that must be addressed first.

List of the Major Pros of a 4-Day School Week

1. Shorter school weeks can improve overall student attendance.

In 1995, 84 school districts were studied that had already implemented a 4-day school week. They were located in 7 western states in the U.S. and all but 13 of them identified themselves as being a rural school district. Just 11 of the districts had enrollments of more than 1,000 students. Those that had implemented the alternative scheduling found that student attendance could rise by more than 20. At the same time, teacher attendance rates also rose, which is a trend still seen in these districts, 20+ years later.

2. Alternative scheduling can reduce discipline issues for students.

According to ASCD, many disciplinary issues that students face come from scheduled transitions. This occurs because a large number of students are moving around the school campus. This issue occurs at all grade levels. In some situations, a single teacher may be responsible for over 100 students. By switching to a 4-day school week, the number of transitions can be reduced because more time can be spent on each subject. In return, the number of disciplinary measures can also be reduced. Some districts have seen their disciplinary issues decline by more than 70% in the first two years of implementing a 4-day schedule.

3. Students also perform better within the 4-day schedule.

When teachers operate under time constraints, in high-pressure situations, then they typically default to a lecture-based teaching style. Students that sit in lecture classrooms retain 10% or less of the information that is presented to them. A switch to a 4-day schedule gives teachers more time to use teaching styles that are more effective. Small group learning with discussion, for example, increases the information retention rate for students up to 80%. If practicums can be included with small group discussions, the retention rate can top 90% for some students. Those changes happen because students who are active participants in their learning have more fun in school.

4. The 4-day school week can reduce costs for some school districts.

One of the primary reasons why school districts, especially rural districts, save money when they shift to a 4-day schedule is because there are fewer transportation costs. The 4-day schedule eliminates one full driving day for the transportation department. That means one of the biggest expenses for the district is immediately cut by 20%. In the United States, $17.5 billion each year is spent on school bus transportation. That means the average cost, per student, is about $700. Cutting that by 20% means a savings of $4 billion, if implemented nationwide.

5. It is easier to recruit teachers and administrative staff with the 4-day work week.

The ability to offer a 3-day weekend, every weekend, is a powerful motivator for school districts that are recruiting for quality employees. The school districts in New Mexico are one of the best examples of this benefit. About 20% of the state's school districts incorporate a 4-day schedule of some kind. The districts which offer the 4-day work week receive more applications and more qualified applicants than the other school districts. That means the students in those districts have better opportunities to learn.

6. Alternative scheduling makes it easier to plan after-school events and activities.

In the standard 5-day school week, sports practices occur after school. Games occur in the evening, often on the weekend. Sometimes, schools are forced to travel during the school week to play some games or attend certain events. By shifting to a 4-day schedule, it becomes easier to transport students to all after-school events and activities because there is an extra day available to plan activities without running into mandatory school times.

7. It follows a schedule pattern that is similar to what a parent's schedule happens to be.

The average time for school that is scheduled in a 4-day week is either 7:30am-5pm or 8am-5:30pm. This schedule works much better for parents, who often have that working schedule themselves. Parents can drop-off their kids in the morning, then pick them up in the afternoon, without worrying about work. They can supervise their children at the bus stop in rural districts as well. That also means some families, with children who are old enough, can eliminate daycare expenses completely with this type of scheduling option.

8. It could improve student morale over the course of a school year.

Many companies have found that when workers are able to work a schedule which suits their needs, letting them work how they like, then their workers are more productive. Students follow the same type of pattern. Kids that go to schools with the 4-day week are often happier, stay happy throughout the school year, and look forward to going to school each day. There tends to be less student exhaustion, which allows them to focus more on the learning process.

9. It eliminates time wasting that is found in the 5-day school week.

In 2006, a study by Yarbrough and Gilman found that teachers working in a 5-day school schedule reported that they have a lot of wasted time. When shifted to a 4-day school week, they reported that they were forced to focus on instruction much more than they had previously. The schedule change also shifted how teachers assigned homework, making it more efficient and focused. When teachers are more effective and efficient, student performance follows a similar pattern.

10. It is a schedule to which every student is able to adjust.

One of the biggest concerns of a 4-day school week is the length of seat time that younger students must complete. When implemented, however, 1st graders do just as well as teens with the expanded schedule and 3-day weekend. It provides an extra day for actual rest to occur when it may be needed without compromising the remainder of the family schedule.

List of the Major Cons of a 4-Day School Week

1. Students already feel like their school day is too long.

Most students, especially younger ones, find that the traditional school schedule is already too long. Students usually go to school about 6 hours each day in most districts. With the 4-day schedule, another 1.5 hours is added to their school day, every day. That can make it difficult for some students to pay attention to the information being provided. When busing and after-school activities are included in that timeframe as well, some older students may find themselves putting in 12-hour days at school every day. That reduces the effective time they would have for homework once they actually make it home.

2. It can create scheduling concerns for many families.

Rural families experience the greatest impacts from the 4-day school week. If a student lives an hour outside of town and have an 8am school bell to meet, then they're on the bus at 7am. If school doesn't get out until 4pm, then the student makes it home at 5pm. That's two hours of lost time for farm chores, homework, or other responsibilities that rural families have more often than urban or suburban families.

3. The 4-day school week changes the holiday schedules as well.

For school districts following the 4-day school week, the Thanksgiving holiday usually receives a full week off instead of the final two days of the week. Christmas and Spring holiday weeks may be extended as well. Although families benefit from the 3-day weekend and those scheduling benefits, the non-traditional time off given to students can offset some of that savings. It almost forces some families into taking their vacation time from work during these holidays to accommodate the needs of their children.

4. Holiday schedules can be reduced, or eliminated, instead of increased for some districts.

Some school districts, particularly those that are in regions of the U.S. where snowfall creates a handful of cancellations each year, find that they are forced to reduce, if not eliminate, certain holidays or vacations. That may mean reducing Spring Break to 2 days instead of having the entire week off. It may eliminate common holidays, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, from the schedule. Some districts take just one week off at Christmas instead of two weeks because of these conflicts. That also makes scheduling problematic for many families.

5. Not every parent benefits from the 4-day school week.

Employment opportunities with a 3-day weekend are increasing. In the United States, about 50% of all companies are either offering or thinking about offering a 4-day workweek for their workers. Shorter work weeks can improve employment productivity and provide families with more meaningful time together. That means half of parents will enjoy the alternative school schedule and half will hate it. Their child is at home while they are at work, which is problematic for parents of younger children.

6. It really isn't going to be a true 4-day school week.

The only students who actually get to benefit from the 4-day school week are those that do not have any extra-curricular activities in which they are involved. Many school districts keep their administrative staff on school grounds all week long, though some allow half to take a Monday off, while the other half takes Friday off. Practices for sports are still held on the fifth day, as are teacher conferences, staff development opportunities, and required janitorial work. These actions often negate the benefits of the 3-day weekend because it really isn't a true 3-day weekend.

7. The 4-day school week struggles in urban school districts and large districts.

Rural school districts and small school districts benefit the most from a 4-day schedule because of their natural isolation. Many of these schools are already operating on an alternative schedule because that is what works best for their community. When larger school districts attempt this kind of schedule, they find few, if any, benefits coming from their actions. That is because larger districts offer more activities, manage more student events, and operate essentially 7 days per week during the school year anyway. It has been so problematic that in Colorado, some urban districts which switched to a 4-day school week have gone back to the traditional scheduling instead.

8. Not every school district saves money with the 4-day school week.

Webster County, Kentucky moved their school district to a 4-day week in 2003. Over the next three years, the school district was able to save 2% on their overall costs each year, for a total of $200,000. In Lexington, Oregon, Morrow County was able to save about $250,000 their first year, but out of a budget of $14 million. Custer School District, in rural South Dakota, believed they could save $70,000 with a 4-day school week. They saved 1.4%, or $45,000, instead.

9. It puts the school district out of sync with other districts.

Most school districts are sticking to the 5-day schedule. Going to the 4-day schedule can create scheduling conflicts with other districts, particularly with sporting events, performances, and groups like 4-H. There will be days, even with the best efforts of everyone involved, where a student is stuck with an after-hours activity, deep into the night, after being in class for most of the day.

10. Job opportunities become limited for high school students.

After-school jobs are a common way for teens to make money. Working a couple of hours after school gains experience and disposable income. The longer school days of a 4-day week make it almost impossible for teens to find a job after school. They just don't have time to get everything done. They do have a full day free for a job in some instances, but trying to find work on the weekends only, especially in a rural community, is never a guarantee - unless you don't mind working on a farm, that is.

The major pros and cons of a 4-day school week suggest that it can save money for districts, which means taxpayers benefit. It can help teachers and students better manage the process of learning. It also means that students face more daily seat time, in exchange for a 3-day weekend which may not materialize with their after-school commitments. Every community has their own unique requirements that must be addressed by school scheduling. For some, a 4-day week makes perfect sense. For others, perhaps not.

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20 Major Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week - BrandonGaille.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you ask the average kid what they think about school, you'll get a very honest answer: "It's boring." From K-12, it can be difficult for students to stay engaged in the classroom during a 5-day school week. The schedule forces teachers to spend small blocks of time on specific topics without really being able to dig into in-depth issues.

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Pro 2:  It may improve overall student attendance. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Pro 2:  It may improve overall student attendance. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Friday rolls around each week during the school year, many parents face the same situation. The kids groan, complain about getting out of bed, and struggle to get through the morning routine. Getting to school on-time or making it out for the bus is a constant battle. To avoid this issue, many school districts have considered shifting to a 4-day school week.

The benefits of going to a 4-day week for schooling is that it offers teachers and students an additional day for rest every week. More rest then equates to dealing with less stress over the course of a school year. Students feel less pressure because they have more time to study at their own pace at home, especially in the later grades.

Shifting to this schedule does have certain disadvantages, especially for working parents. For the parents of younger students, an additional full day of daycare may need to be scheduled every week instead of a partial day. This leads to added costs that some families, living paycheck to paycheck, may not be able to afford.

Here are some additional key points to think about when looking at the pros and cons of a 4-day school week.

What Are the Pros of a 4 Day School Week?

1. It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students.
The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. Over the course of their first year on this new schedule, they reported that the frequency of discipline referrals for their students dropped by 73%. Their students were more focused because they were more rested, which equated to fewer classroom disruptions.

2. It may improve overall student attendance.
The Melstone School District in Montana also shifted to a 4-day school week. Over the course of a 2-year period on this alternative schedule, they reported up to a 20% increase in student attendance. There were also reduced sick days requested by their teaching staff. The Chattooga County School District reported similar results from their trial with this schedule as well.

3. Student performance may improve with a 4-day school week.
The Peach County School District in Georgia saw that their graduation rates slowly increased year after year when they switched to a 4-day school week. The Oakridge School District in Oregon reported that their test scores improved when they shifted to this alternative schedule as well.

4. There are potential reductions in the financial costs of running a school district.
Because school buses are only running 4 days per week instead of 5 days, there is the potential of reducing transportation costs by up to 20% by shifting the schedule. There are potential savings to food programs and other important areas of infrastructure because the school district is closed 1 additional day each week. For school districts struggling with funding issues, the potential savings here could save the budget.

5. Staff recruitment is easier with the 4-day school week for school districts.
In New Mexico, 18 of the state's 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. The districts on the 4-day school week are finding it easier to recruit for the staff they need because they offer the prospect of a 3-day weekend during the school year. That additional day can also be used for staff development time instead of taking away a school day to do so. And the school districts in the state have stable student achievement levels on their standardized tests.

6. Sports schedules are easier to manage.
Some school districts shifted to a 4-day week not because of financial needs, but others did so to make it easier to schedule sporting events or after-school activities. Weekend sporting events make it easier to get students to them, especially when they are an away event, because the school day doesn't interfere on a Friday. Rural school districts find the greatest benefit in this area.

What Are the Cons of a 4 Day School Week?

1. It creates a long school day for students.
The requirements for total education time do not change just because a school district goes to a 4-day school week. For the Cove School District in Eastern Oregon, the school day begins at 8am and doesn't end until 4pm. After-school activities begin at that point, which means some students don't make it back home until 8pm that night. After 12 hours of being away from home, students struggle to find time to study during the 4-day school week.

2. It changes the holiday schedules for the school district.
Students in a 4-day school week are packing 180 days into a condensed 145-day schedule. This means students in a district with this alternative schedule get out later for the holidays than students on the traditional Monday-Friday schedule. It also means that certain holiday vacations, such as Thanksgiving, are extended to a full week, and that can be a scheduling concern for many families.

3. Most parents work a 5-day schedule and struggle to adapt to a 4-day school schedule.
Most parents have employment which requires them to be present for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. Students attending a 4-day school schedule may have requirements for their education that fall outside of the normal work schedule for their parents. This creates challenges for families that range from transportation to daycare and could make it difficult for parents to be fully involved with their child's education.

4. Many school districts still operate Monday-Friday, even on a 4-day week.
The school districts may operate classes Monday-Thursday on a 4-day week (or Tuesday-Friday in some instances), but they are still operational from an administrative standpoint on the off-day. Programs like student tutoring or sports, teacher/parent meetings, staff development, and building maintenance still happen on the fifth day, which negates many of the cost-savings opportunities that the 4-day schedule appears to offer.

5. It is a program for mostly rural and small school districts.
In Colorado, 31 of the state's 176 school districts are currently using a 4-day school week. These school districts are typically in isolated regions, are rural, and have a student body that is fewer than 500 students. The challenges of implementing such a schedule for parents, administrators, and even some teachers have caused some Colorado school districts to return to the traditional schedule instead of the alternative 4-day schedule. Many schools are, in fact, offering year-round services now to accommodate the changing needs of their communities.

6. Even the cost savings of a total shift to a 4-day schedule may be minimal.
Granby School District in Colorado shifted to a 4-day schedule for their 1,100 students. Out of a budget of $5.5 million, they saved $206,000.

The pros and cons of a 4-day school week offer many challenges. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. Each community has unique needs which must be met, so there is the possibility of a 4-day week being useful to some districts, but not others. The decision to implement such a schedule must therefore be handled at the local level.

Blog Post Author Credentials
Louise Gaille is the author of this post. She received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Washington. In addition to being a seasoned writer, Louise has almost a decade of experience in Banking and Finance. If you have any suggestions on how to make this post better, then go here to contact our team.

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When Friday rolls around each week during the school year, many parents face the same

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Con 2: Most parents work a 5-day schedule and struggle to adapt to a 4-day school schedule. 

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Con 2: Most parents work a 5-day schedule and struggle to adapt to a 4-day school schedule. 

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When Friday rolls around each week during the school year, many parents face the same situation. The kids groan, complain about getting out of bed, and struggle to get through the morning routine. Getting to school on-time or making it out for the bus is a constant battle. To avoid this issue, many school districts have considered shifting to a 4-day school week.

The benefits of going to a 4-day week for schooling is that it offers teachers and students an additional day for rest every week. More rest then equates to dealing with less stress over the course of a school year. Students feel less pressure because they have more time to study at their own pace at home, especially in the later grades.

Shifting to this schedule does have certain disadvantages, especially for working parents. For the parents of younger students, an additional full day of daycare may need to be scheduled every week instead of a partial day. This leads to added costs that some families, living paycheck to paycheck, may not be able to afford.

Here are some additional key points to think about when looking at the pros and cons of a 4-day school week.

What Are the Pros of a 4 Day School Week?

1. It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students.
The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. Over the course of their first year on this new schedule, they reported that the frequency of discipline referrals for their students dropped by 73%. Their students were more focused because they were more rested, which equated to fewer classroom disruptions.

2. It may improve overall student attendance.
The Melstone School District in Montana also shifted to a 4-day school week. Over the course of a 2-year period on this alternative schedule, they reported up to a 20% increase in student attendance. There were also reduced sick days requested by their teaching staff. The Chattooga County School District reported similar results from their trial with this schedule as well.

3. Student performance may improve with a 4-day school week.
The Peach County School District in Georgia saw that their graduation rates slowly increased year after year when they switched to a 4-day school week. The Oakridge School District in Oregon reported that their test scores improved when they shifted to this alternative schedule as well.

4. There are potential reductions in the financial costs of running a school district.
Because school buses are only running 4 days per week instead of 5 days, there is the potential of reducing transportation costs by up to 20% by shifting the schedule. There are potential savings to food programs and other important areas of infrastructure because the school district is closed 1 additional day each week. For school districts struggling with funding issues, the potential savings here could save the budget.

5. Staff recruitment is easier with the 4-day school week for school districts.
In New Mexico, 18 of the state's 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. The districts on the 4-day school week are finding it easier to recruit for the staff they need because they offer the prospect of a 3-day weekend during the school year. That additional day can also be used for staff development time instead of taking away a school day to do so. And the school districts in the state have stable student achievement levels on their standardized tests.

6. Sports schedules are easier to manage.
Some school districts shifted to a 4-day week not because of financial needs, but others did so to make it easier to schedule sporting events or after-school activities. Weekend sporting events make it easier to get students to them, especially when they are an away event, because the school day doesn't interfere on a Friday. Rural school districts find the greatest benefit in this area.

What Are the Cons of a 4 Day School Week?

1. It creates a long school day for students.
The requirements for total education time do not change just because a school district goes to a 4-day school week. For the Cove School District in Eastern Oregon, the school day begins at 8am and doesn't end until 4pm. After-school activities begin at that point, which means some students don't make it back home until 8pm that night. After 12 hours of being away from home, students struggle to find time to study during the 4-day school week.

2. It changes the holiday schedules for the school district.
Students in a 4-day school week are packing 180 days into a condensed 145-day schedule. This means students in a district with this alternative schedule get out later for the holidays than students on the traditional Monday-Friday schedule. It also means that certain holiday vacations, such as Thanksgiving, are extended to a full week, and that can be a scheduling concern for many families.

3. Most parents work a 5-day schedule and struggle to adapt to a 4-day school schedule.
Most parents have employment which requires them to be present for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. Students attending a 4-day school schedule may have requirements for their education that fall outside of the normal work schedule for their parents. This creates challenges for families that range from transportation to daycare and could make it difficult for parents to be fully involved with their child's education.

4. Many school districts still operate Monday-Friday, even on a 4-day week.
The school districts may operate classes Monday-Thursday on a 4-day week (or Tuesday-Friday in some instances), but they are still operational from an administrative standpoint on the off-day. Programs like student tutoring or sports, teacher/parent meetings, staff development, and building maintenance still happen on the fifth day, which negates many of the cost-savings opportunities that the 4-day schedule appears to offer.

5. It is a program for mostly rural and small school districts.
In Colorado, 31 of the state's 176 school districts are currently using a 4-day school week. These school districts are typically in isolated regions, are rural, and have a student body that is fewer than 500 students. The challenges of implementing such a schedule for parents, administrators, and even some teachers have caused some Colorado school districts to return to the traditional schedule instead of the alternative 4-day schedule. Many schools are, in fact, offering year-round services now to accommodate the changing needs of their communities.

6. Even the cost savings of a total shift to a 4-day schedule may be minimal.
Granby School District in Colorado shifted to a 4-day schedule for their 1,100 students. Out of a budget of $5.5 million, they saved $206,000.

The pros and cons of a 4-day school week offer many challenges. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. Each community has unique needs which must be met, so there is the possibility of a 4-day week being useful to some districts, but not others. The decision to implement such a schedule must therefore be handled at the local level.

Blog Post Author Credentials
Louise Gaille is the author of this post. She received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Washington. In addition to being a seasoned writer, Louise has almost a decade of experience in Banking and Finance. If you have any suggestions on how to make this post better, then go here to contact our team.

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When Friday rolls around each week during the school year, many parents face the same