More Districts Adopt 4-Day School Week Nationwide

When the school bell rings in Independence, Missouri this year, 14 thousand students are trying something new: a 4-day week, with Mondays off.

Superintendent Dale Herl and his staff have spent months planning for this calendar change. His district is the largest in the state to move to a 4-day schedule. The change will come with the district offering 5th-day childcare to families for $30 a day. "We're adding 35 minutes onto the day, so the instructional minutes will be almost exactly the same." Herl said.

Nearly 900 school districts across 26 states now use a 4-day schedule. That's up from 650 districts in 2020.

While smaller, rural districts have long favored the schedule, larger districts are now shortening their school week in an effort to recruit and retain teachers.

Aaron Pallas with Teachers College, Columbia University is watching the trend and argues there are better ways to tackle a teacher shortage. Pallas said, "The best way is to pay them better. And Missouri as a state ranks basically last, next to last, in terms of teacher salaries."

In Independence, some parents have had concerns, but Herl says it's a step they needed to take. “I think this really needs to lead to a bigger discussion nationwide about what are we going to do to support the teaching profession.” He said.

A conversation more districts are facing as students head back to school.