The possibility of moving to a four-day school week as soon as next school year is being studied by the McCall-Donnelly School District.
The school district’s board of trustees was updated on the possible schedule change at Monday night’s board meeting by the Calendar Focus Committee, which includes teachers, board members, school administration, and parents.
The committee has been meeting twice a month since January to compile information to help the board decide whether to stick with the current five-day schedule or change to a four-day school week.
The committee’s findings will be presented publicly on May 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the McCall Public Library, said BJ Sorensen, an M-D teacher who serves on the committee.
“We’re not going there to tell people we are or we aren’t,” Sorensen said. “We’re just there to share with people what we’ve found.”
The committee has also compiled research related to student achievement, staff recruitment and retention, childcare, mental health, district funding, and other topics.
A final report from the committee will be presented at the board’s June 9 meeting, at which public comments on the possible schedule change will be sought.
If adopted, the four-day schedule would apply to Donnelly Elementary School, Barbara Morgan Elementary School, Payette Lakes Middle School, McCall-Donnelly High School, and Heartland High School. Combined, the schools serve nearly 1,400 students and employ 101 teachers.
Hypothetical calendars developed
The district would need to decide whether to drop Monday or Friday from the school week if the schedule change is approved. Draft calendars for each scenario have been developed by the committee, Sorensen said.
A four-day schedule could require school days to be extended by about 30 minutes or adding weeks to the school year to ensure students have at least 60 hours of classroom time per semester, as required by state standards.
Any schedule change would also be coordinated to not affect state accreditation, bus routes, graduation requirements, block scheduling, and state funding, Sorensen said.
The committee is considering how a four-day week could spur changes that extend beyond the schools, including childcare.
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“There’s a lot more that goes into it than just ‘we’re going to go four days and everything else stays the same,’” Sorensen said. “That was what was a real eye-opener for me.”
Survey results favor four-day week
In December 2023, the school district surveyed parents and staff on whether a four-day week or a five-day week was preferred.
Each group favored the four-day week, with about 65% of staff in favor and about 62% of parents. Overall, 132 staff members and 592 parents responded to the survey.
About 27% of parents and 21% of teachers preferred the five-day week option. The survey also included an option that included both four-day and five-day weeks, which was the least popular among respondents.
Four-day school weeks have been in place at Cascade Schools and in the Meadows Valley School District since the 2022-23 school year.
Statewide, 76 of the state’s 115 school districts operate on a four-day week, along with 19 charter schools, according to Idaho EdNews.
