Cost-cutting plan: A 4-day school week (saves on gas)

[The Straight Story]

Cost-cutting plan: A 4-day school week

A west-central district voted to become the first in the state to close Mondays and add an hour the other days, saving on transportation.

Schools in the MACCRAY School District in west-central Minnesota can hang a new tile on their doors come fall: Closed Mondays.
Partly to chip away at $200,000 in cuts, the school board unanimously approved the change Monday. The district, which links the communities of Maynard, Clara City and Raymond, is the only Minnesota district that has cited current rising fuel costs as it approached the state with a request to join rural districts in 17 other states to adopt the alternative schedule.

Though the plan still needs approval from the state Department of Education, the community has largely supported it, and districts in other states cite educational benefits in concentrated instruction time and fewer absences. Administrators allow that some parents, especially of younger children, are worried about increased child care costs, but note that four longer school days will partially offset the one-day increase.

"The four-day week saves money," said school board Chairman Randy Janssen. "If we don't do it, we will have to cut more programs or staff."

http://www.startribune.com/local/18893039.html?location_refer=Local%20+%20Metro

[Speck Tater]

1. What about increased child-care costs for parents on that fifth day? NT

[The Straight Story]

5. They can consider it a tax on their lifestyle choice to have kids

like smokers who pay more and drinkers....

:rofl:

Seriously though, yeah it will mess up a lot of things for people - unless companies follow suit and go to four day work weeks. But that would only save the employees (and parents) money, and no one seems to want to do that.

[Fumesucker]

6. Like there will be enough day care for an entire school system's worth of kids

This has all the makings of a gigantic boondoggle.

[RB TexLa]

9. Better cancel that summer break then

That's a lot of childcare cost for parents. We shouldn't ask them to provide for their children like that.

[RazBerryBeret]

2. yep, this will play havoc

with most parent's five day work week....

I couldn't do it...

[uppityperson]

3. Rather French of them. Relative's kids in France have school 4 d/wk

I'd like to do this for jobs also. Have 4 day work weeks, and alternate/fill in with 3 day work weeks.

[cynatnite]

4. Will the school year length have to be increased?

I wonder what those opposed to this have to say?

Increased daycare expenses and longer school days. I could understand some parents being opposed.

[juajen]

7. A four-day work week for everybody would do the same.

If that was also done, parents wouldn't have to find sitters for their children. My son works longer hours four days a week and gets off for three days. He likes it.

[LWolf]

8. While it's certainly tempting,

from a teacher's point of view, it's not educationally sound.

Kids are brain dead by the end of the day already. They don't need more time spent at desks in the day.

Shorter, more frequent lessons and practices are more effective than fewer, longer. Students will learn more studying 10 minutes daily during the week than they will if they spend one hour studying on one day.

I wonder if schools will send "homework" for that 5th day, and if staff will still be showing up on the 5th day.