Four-day school week topic raises questions

Though questions remain, the Grand Coulee Dam school board at their Oct. 28 meeting indicated openness to switching to a four-day school week in the 2025-26 school year. 

Board members will likely make their official decision at the Nov. 25 meeting after hearing more direct comments and concerns from staff, faculty and students — as well as a more complete proposal including the start time and end time for each school’s daily schedule. 

Superintendent Rod Broadnax presented survey results that tended to show staff in support of making the change, as well as data from other school districts in north central Washington that have made the switch, appear happy with the decision, and report no meaningful impact on salary and benefits or other expenses, nor on student learning metrics.

Even so, board members, including student board members, brought up concerns they would like to see addressed by the time the discussion comes up again.

“I’m not a ‘no’ to it, as of this meeting right now,” said board member Alex Tufts. “There’s just a ton of questions that we would want to be going through. Like, our student body has food insecurity. Do we want to do a brown bag to-go lunch on Thursday afternoon? And as much as we’re not a daycare, how are we going to be able to support the families that do need some sort of assistance because they work Fridays. That’s another day added on with a 5-year-old at home. Are you going to leave a 5-year-old at home for nine hours while they go work? I’m still open to it, but there’s questions.”

“I’m personally not for it,” said Lake Roosevelt junior AJ Cannon, a student member of the board. “But if it happens, it won’t kill me.”

Cannon expressed concerns with sports and bus schedules, which Broadnax said would need to be adjusted.

“Honestly, I think we should,” senior Nani Marconi said, another student representative on the board. “I feel like it would help kids learn more and comprehend it.”

A staff survey presented by Broadnax showed 55% reported being in favor of the four-day week, with 14% against, and 30% saying they needed more information.

Cannon and Marconi presented a survey they gave to fellow students and got 167 responses, compared to just 58 they heard from when they first circulated the survey earlier this year. Sports practice schedules were the biggest concern.

“That was the biggest concern about this, because sports is a big part of our community,” Marconi said.