ERIC Number: ED202650
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1981-Jun-17
Pages: 15
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The 4-Day School Week: A Partial Solution to Today's Energy Crisis and Declining State Funding to Education.
Feldhausen, Thomas
As a partial solution to the energy crisis and to solve the problem of drastically rising operating costs coupled with less state support, in 1980-81 the Liberty School District (Spangle, Washington) implemented a 4-day school week comparable to the program used by Cimarron School District #3 in New Mexico. A survey conducted in 1975 by the Cimarron District (survey form and results included in report) indicated community acceptance of the program. The Liberty School District, a large rural district with one small high school and two small elementary schools, excluded Friday from the school week. This provided a significant decrease in the use of heating oils, natural gas, and electricity. In order to meet Washington requirements, schools started 15 minutes earlier and ended 1 hour later. Projections indicated that the typical high school student would gain almost 31 school days over a 4-year period, despite the fact that school would start one week later and operate for 144 days instead of 180. The gain was attributed to longer class periods, the fact that teacher in-service and parent-teacher conferences were no longer held on school days, and time saved in setting up and cleaning classrooms. Liberty School District realized many advantages and few disadvantages from the program. (CM)
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Liberty School District, Spangle, WA.
Identifiers - Location: Washington
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A