The school district we live in is considering going to a 4 day school week. I am 100% in favor of a 4 day school week. I currently have one child in Kindergarten and will have another child in Kindergarten next year. The possibility of a four day school week in very appealing to my husband and I for several reasons:


1. It will reduce the time my children have to miss school for dental and medical appointments. We all know that it basically takes all day long to take your child to an appointment in Helena. Having a four day school week would virtually eliminate the need to miss school for a scheduled appointment of any kind.


2. More time for family. I currently get to see my daughter for about an hour and a half before school and for about 5 hours after school. If she rode the bus, it would be even less. The idea of having my kids with me for three days rather than just two is very agreeable to me. We could do so much more in the way of family oriented activities that are limited right now with a five day week.


3. As I understand it, many times some of the funds saved from having a four day school week, if properly managed, can benefit at risk students. Often times, tutoring and reading programs are implemented on the ‘fifth day’ which benefit the at risk student population.


4. Sports activites can be scheduled on the ‘fifth day’ which in turn reduces the classtime lost by those who participate in sports. These students don’t miss instruction time for extra-cirricular activties, which are important, but secondary to academics in my opinon.


5. Kids who participate in clubs like Scouts have that ‘fifth day’ for activities and meetings geared toward those groups. They are still learning and are engaged with their peers – which is essential for good citizenship and community. Though my kids are not sports or club participants at this time, I anticipate the day when they both will be involved in either a club or sport – maybe both.


6. A four day school week would also afford my family the opportunity to participate in an activity not currently offered by the school, ie ballet or karate. At present, I feel doing so would be ‘overload’ on my kids but if we had the ‘fifth day’ free, we would have more flexibility to do something like that.


7. From a common sense point of view, it is easy to see that a four day school week reduces the amount of money the school district would spend on hourly salaries, energy, fuel, food and other expenses. That is hard to argue with.


8. Research shows that having a four day school week improves attitudes and outlook of the faculty, staff and students, reduces stress, and increases student attendance while decreasing discipline problems. It also reduces the need for substitute teachers while increasing the opportunity for older students to gain work experience because they have an entire day they can promise to their employer.


I am unconcerned about the fears that the younger kids won’t adapt well or that a long school day will be too much for them. I was concerned about those very issues when my daughter started all day Kindergarten and have been proven very wrong. She is thriving and comes home with plenty of energy to play and do what she needs to do in the evenings. She sleeps and eats much better after having started school. We have regimented eating and bedtimes at our house and the routine of school has only reinforced my ‘at home’ regimen. I cannot see how an extra hour or so four days a week would impact my daughter negatively in the least. I anticipate the same pattern for my son who will start Kindergarten in the Fall of 2009.


I can find very little wrong with the idea of getting to spend more quality time with my children while saving the school district money in basic operating costs. I am looking forward to the decision the school board makes and hope that we see a four day school week in the near future.