As families step away from the 2024-25 school year, school districts across Idaho are ramping up their plans for the next – and more than a few are wrestling with the idea of possibly joining the growing list of districts who have adopted four-day schedules.
The just-completed school year saw more than 100,000 Idaho students attending four-day school. And while many of those districts were certain that a shorter schedule could lead to more manageable budgets, new data on four-day schools reveals pluses and minuses.
The McCall-Donnely School District has been discussing the possibility of moving to a four-day week for a couple of years now. A public survey of parents and educators had some initial positive responses. And now, a subcommittee of the McCall-Donnelly School Board has been diving into some new findings.
“It focuses on school scheduling, student achievement, staff recruitment and retention, school funding, childcare and mental health,” said Sierra Christie, reporter for the McCall Star News. “And I would say the majority of concerns voiced by parents [during a recent meeting] were regarding childcare.”
Christie visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about her recent reporting on the issue, and what the district’s next steps might be.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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