WEISER, Idaho — The Weiser School District Board of Trustees approved a 4-day school week for the 2022-2023 school year by a 3-2 vote.
Weiser joins 54 other Idaho school districts and 19 charter school already operating under a 4-day week, according to the State Department of Education. During the 2006-2007 school year, 10 school districts operated under a 4-day week along with 2 charter school.
The decision is met with benefits and drawbacks.
“I personally would rather have the 5-day school week,” Weiser School District parent Shaylin George said.
George has 4 kids in the district. Next year, she will have 5 kids in the district. George works at a daycare and can watch over her own kids during the extra day off, she said.
However, a 4-day school week is a burden for other parents, according to George.
“One of my friends - I talked to – is struggling to figure out what to do. She cannot afford daycare part-time. I know it’s gonna be rough for her and some other people,” George said.
The Weiser School District gauged parent, student, and staff input through a series of three surveys dating back to March 2022, according to Superintendent Wade Wilson.
Across all three surveys, more than 60% of respondents supported a 4-day school week.
“There is a lot excitement looking at next year. Really analyzing the possibilities for our students, for our staff, and for our families,” Wilson said. “Some people in the survey said they have no preference. So it’s not like it was a 60-40 split.”
Surrounding districts, including Payette, already operate through a 4-day week. By matching the nearby districts, Wilson is hopeful the change will lead to better teacher recruitment and retention.
“There’s a shortage of teachers and classified employees everywhere. We're hoping this helps us maintain any edge we have in hiring,” Wilson said.
The Weiser school board has not approved an official calendar for the 2022-2023 school year. Wilson expects school days to be longer to offset the lost class time from a 4-day week. Wilson said school days may be elongated by 30 minutes or up to 55 minutes.
However, this will not completely make up for the lost day every week. The Idaho State Department of Education points toward a RAND Research study.
The study compiled data from Idaho, New Mexico, and Oklahoma school districts. It found adding 50 minutes to a 4-day school week still resulted in an average of 58 fewer school hours per year when compared to a traditional 5-day school week.
But the lost class time doesn’t concern George. While she is not getting her way with the new school calendar, George is confident her kids will make the best out of the situation.
“I love this district, my kids will stay here and push through and manage,” George said.
The Weiser school board is expected to approve an official 2022-2023 calendar on May 25th, according to Wilson.
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