More Schools Considering Four-Day Week

The Washington Post (10/28, Layton) reports, "Pressed for dollars, a growing number of public schools are doing what many educators once considered unimaginable: eliminating an entire school day each week." While only "a small fraction" of total US school districts have adopted the practice, according to the Post "it's one signal that this is shaping up to be a 'cliff year' in American education as the evaporation of federal stimulus funds and other fiscal troubles force many schools to make dramatic cuts." The article examines how schools that have adopted the shortened week are fairing, focusing particularly on the North Branch School District in Minnesota, where officials say it has had some fiscal and educational benefits, as well as some drawbacks on both counts. According to experts, more districts are considering the practice, including some large urban areas.