Readers split on idea of four-day school week

Readers responding to an online poll are split on the idea of changing to a four-day week at Lake Roosevelt Schools, with most being against it.

An article in last week’s Star described a nuanced discussion that took place among Grand Coulee Dam School District board members and the superintendent on the topic of going to a four-day school week.

The discussion touched on some of the ramifications of making such a change, including how it would affect childcare and how long it would extend the school day. Although clear answers on these questions weren’t presented, the questions were raised.

Their discussion also emphasized the need to talk to the community about the idea, with Superintendent Paul Turner later saying that results of a staff survey on the topic would be presented at a November school board meeting.

Turner brought up the possibility after the Colville Tribes recently implemented a four-day work week. Most employees at the Bureau of Reclamation also work a four-day week.

The Star also conducted a poll on the topic and received 149 responses as of Tuesday, with 91 (61%) of respondents saying they were against the idea of switching to four days, and 58 (39%) being for it.

Comments collected from the anonymous poll addressed some of the implications of switching to four days, including daycare, student fatigue, the effects on sports, appointments, family time, and more.

“Childcare is not available in the area for parents not working for the Bureau or tribe,” one respondant wrote, “and before and after school is too long of periods to leave children home alone already.”

Clarissa Cawston, who owns Koulee Kids daycare center in Coulee Dam, commented on the subject on The Star’s Facebook page, to which the article had been shared.

“I would love a 4day school week for my child,” she wrote. “From my daycare side of it, majority of my clients are either Tribal or Bureau. My attendance goes way down on Fridays so I am able to give staff an extra day with their own families. I could do all of my child’s appointments on Friday so she wouldn’t miss school. Would also allow a extra day of family time when in school we don’t get to do much anyways now with the 5days a week of school.”

“I really wish 4 day weeks was a good idea,” one respondant to the poll wrote, “but most parents still work on Friday and for the younger elementary kids who can’t watch themselves it’s gonna effect a lot of parents negatively. I do however think giving a 4 day week would let students especially highschool ones have an extra break day which is good. But making the school day even longer than it is could be a horrible idea, students can hardly last now.”

Many respondents also said that they work Fridays, including USBR and tribal employees, and wouldn’t want to have to organize childcare arrangements were there no school on Fridays, with financial costs being a large concern.

“Remember not everyone is rich enough to hire a babysitter every Friday!” one reader wrote.

One respondent who works Fridays said that they would actually save money on childcare and transportation were a four-day week to be implemented, although they didn’t elaborate on specifics.

Several noted that the idea might work best for older, high school-age students, who don’t require childcare, but not for the younger kids.

Many said advantages to students having Fridays off include more time spent with family, as well as being able to schedule appointments on Fridays without missing school.

Teachers being able to schedule appointments on Fridays, and not miss school themselves, was seen as another possible advantage.

One reader noted “less teacher fatigue” as a possible advantage, and noted that many parents’ jobs don’t run on a Monday-Friday schedule. “It might actually give them a day off with their kid, rather than another day of daycare. Most jobs aren’t a m-f job, and I don’t know why we have this mindset that it is.”

Several responses noted more quality time between parents and their children as a possible benefit.

“We do not work 4 tens,”a respondent wrote, “but if the school were to make these changes, it could influence the idea of adapting our workplace schedule. It would promote more quality family time. It also makes it a lot easier to take more family trips. Living in such a rural area, with little to do, requires more travel to do family fun things, but doing so in two days can be so difficult that it rarely happens until Winter or Spring break. Quality family time is so important to our kids!”

Others echoed that sentiment, saying that a three-day weekend allows for more relaxation and recovery time.

That students having difficulty learning in mornings was brought up by many as a possible negative factor for four-day weeks, if that meant an earlier start time. And the effect a later dismissal time would have on sports was another primary concern.

“The kids already have a long enough day with after school programs and sports,” one reader wrote, while another felt sports could be saved for Fridays. Yet another noted sports scheduling conflicts with other districts as a concern.

Overcrowding students’ schedules with school, homework, and sports, was another top concern.

Some said that an extra day off would benefit students and teaching staff, while others felt having four days, all longer than they are now, would burn them out.

“By 2:00 in the afternoon, students are tired and difficult to teach,” one reader responded. “Extending the day would have negative consequences.”

Another reader wrote, “I feel like the students would be happy about this change, and even though longer school days might affect students, the one day off will definitely make up for this.”

The only respondent who identified as a student agreed, writing, “I think as a student myself that it would help the tension that occurs at the end of the week. And many of us are stressed about getting heaps of homework done in just the two nights we have, especially if we have family events we have to attend. The only con I see is that the days would be longer, but I’m okay with that.”

Meals are another concern.

“Some families can’t afford to have there kids at home for three days a week,” one wrote. “Many families live off food stamps and need the school to provide their children with free lunch and breakfast.”

Other respondents noted that an extra snack time would be necessary during the school day.

One reader felt that a four-day week wouldn’t prepare students for the “real world.”

“The real world does not run on 4 days a week unless you are in some socialist paradise in Europe,” the respondent wrote. “Colleges do not run 4 days a week. Most small and large business is not a 4 day a week effort. Doing this in the public school system is not preparing anyone for the future workforce.”

“It will off balance a LOT of families, and we have it all figured out NOW,” another respondent wrote. “It’s about the kids, not the employees of the school. Kids already have a difficult time focusing for a long period of time, and now it will add more time to the school day. Absolutely not.”

One reader included a link to an article on the National Conference of State Legislatures website citing a study from Oregon State University that “showed a temporary decline in academic performance among students who switched to a four-day schedule, particularly among minority, low-income, and special needs students.”

After four years that decline was “not significantly different,” according to that study.

“Studies have been a mix bag and we should look at the reality for our specific area,” that respondent wrote. “We are a low income, rural, minority school. We are already at a disadvantage in many fields. Placing the students in a position of strength and success should be the primary focus.”

Another study from Cal Poly State University looked at data out of Colorado, noting an increase in juvenile crime possibly linked to a four-day school week, and estimates that “shifting to a four-day schedule increases juvenile arrests for property crime—especially larceny— by 73 percent, but there was no change in drug-related or violent crimes. The increase in property crime was observed on all days of the week, not just spiking on the day when school is not in session.”