(Des Moines) The Saydel Community School District is converting to a four-day week. The school board unanimously approved the move on Monday. The school year will start at the end of the Iowa State Fair and run until Memorial Day, with students having most Fridays off. Each school day will be half an hour longer. District officials say the conversion will bring in more staff and students.
Four other Iowa school districts are following a national trend of moving to four-day school weeks.
Almost 900 schools nationwide have made the change, hoping to retain teachers and reduce costs.
Closer to home, the Griswold School Board discussed the issue of reducing the school week from five days to four but voted down the move last August following a survey of staff members. The survey indicated staff members were 50/50 regarding their ability to teach students effectively in four days instead of five.
Regarding staff retainment, some respondents admitted they were more likely to stay if the district adopted a four-day week; about one dozen respondents said they would likely leave the district.
