As the bell tolls for the new school year, a growing trend is emerging among districts across the nation – a transition to the four-day school week. In Arizona's Casa Grande Elementary School District, Superintendent Adam Leckie notes the shift to this schedule, now in its third year, is bearing positive impacts, especially in the face of a nationwide educator shortage. According to a survey within the district, over 75% of staff find the four-day week a significant factor in their continued employment. "It’s forced us to really prioritize what’s important to student learning," Leckie told ABC15.
Meanwhile, Colorado's 27J Schools, which also opted for a shorter school week starting fall 2018, do not expect to revert, according to Superintendent Chris Fiedler. After struggling to secure local tax support for educational funding, the district adopted the model as a competitive measure to attract and retain staff. Despite previous challenges in funding, the district has managed to secure a sizable pay increase for teachers with the passage of a Mill Levy Override in 2022. "The four-day week is the second-best option, and the first-best option is to pay teachers and support staff well," Fiedler expressed in an interview with K12 Dive.
Paul Thompson, an economics professor at Oregon State University, notes a 'rapid growth' in the adoption of the four-day school week, with numbers up from 1,600 schools in 650 districts in 2019-20 to about 2,100 schools across 900 districts as of the 2022-23 school year. Despite the trend's popularity, he cautions, there is no solid evidence linking the four-day school week directly to improving student achievement rates. However, districts like 27J Schools have seen a dramatic increase in graduation rates, hinting at broader benefits. "Our turnover rate has always outperformed our base teacher salary rate," Fiedler said, as perK12 Dive, illustrating the complex dynamics at play within the education sector.
