If I told you that a School District in Melstone, Montana, improved their attendance as much as 20 percent over a two-year period, you might think that they started serving Dominos pizza every day for school lunch. The truth is, they just switched to a four-day school week. Some people might dismiss the idea of a four-day school week when it's coming from a 13-year-old, but before they do, they should know that a lot of educators, students and parents agree that it’s the best thing to do for everyone. While there are drawbacks to a four-day school week, in the places where it's been attempted, the results show that it benefits teachers and students alike.
Having a four-day school week benefits teacher and student morale. Writing for WeAreTeachers.com, Elizabeth Mulvahill writes, “Looking forward to a three-day weekend each week leads to greater work-life balance for teachers, which leads to improved staff morale and a positive impact on what is taught in classrooms.” My mom is a teacher and I know that teachers work all day and stay up late to make lesson plans. The four-day school week would give teachers an extra day to relax or do the things that they want to do but never have time for. Just giving teachers that extra day of break would boost their morale and give them more time to spend with their families. It would also benefit the class because the teacher would be in a better mood and their lessons wouldn’t be confusing or rushed. Four-day school weeks would also benefit student morale. Writing for education.seattlepi.com, Katherine Bradley writes, “Some students feel the four-day school week provides an opportunity for extra rest and a less stressful environment. Being out of school one extra day per week allows students to relax or to be more productive.” Having a four-day school week would lower the chance for a student to procrastinate on their homework. Also, knowing that you only have a four-day school week instead of a five-day week will give you something to look forward to at the end of each week; it just takes off stress and boosts morale when you know that you have a three-day weekend coming.
Some potential problems with four-day school weeks are property crime increase and the lack of fairness for people who can’t find or afford daycare for their kids. Elizabeth Mulvahill writes, “One study of schools in Colorado showed a direct correlation between a four day schedule and juvenile crime. Juvenile arrests for property crimes, especially larceny, increased by 73%, although no change was reported in drug related or violent crimes.” Although most kids like having an off day to do things besides school, there are still kids that will use that off day to commit property crimes. There might be some property crimes at the beginning when schools first start the four day school week, but later on, people will start developing camps or activities for kids who have an off day so they will be less likely to commit property crimes. Mulvahill's bigger concern is for parents who can’t find childcare. She writes “Finding childcare for just one day a week is often difficult and costly. And since most adults work five days a week, chances are that many children will simply find themselves in non-school “school” settings, like daycares, on the remaining day.” School districts need to make sure that, if they switch to a four-day school week, they should replace that day of school with good activities for all students. Rich kids should not have more opportunities to stay productive than low-income kids on their off days. The school needs to develop alternatives to school, like leaving the campus open to students or having organizations like the YMCA come and provide other fun activities for the students to participate in. Otherwise, parents that don’t make enough money to afford childcare might have to leave their kids home alone or leave a child in charge of young siblings.
In Melstone, Montana, they didn’t have to bribe their students to get attendance up 20%. They just switched to a four-day school week. Having a four-day school week benefits teacher and student morale, plus it creates a less stressful environment for everyone. Also, it allows the students to be more productive on their day off. The downside to a four-day school week is that it's inequitable for the parents who can’t afford daycare for their child. This is not something that the school districts can just dismiss; it’s the most difficult part about switching to a four-day school week. It's very hard for a low-income parent working full-time to pay someone to watch their kid all day, so the district should provide free daycare for parents who need it. Still, overall, I think there are more pros than cons to a four-day school week.