Rural districts switch to four-day school weeks

Should schools move to shorter school weeks? Dr. Daniel Robinson weighs in.

Thursday, Jul 28, 2022

Should schools move to shorter school weeks?

The switch to four-day school weeks is popular among smaller school districts that don’t always have the finances to attract or retain teachers with pay increases, the Texas Tribune reported.

Dr. Daniel Robinson, associate dean of research in the UTA College of Education, said he fears for the low-income students in these districts because they may get lunch for free or low cost at their schools, so a four-day week would mean one less meal.

“I’m afraid that the poor groups out there would be more negatively affected,” said Robinson, who is also the program director for the M.Ed. in Mind, Brain, and Education. 

Robinson added that the tradeoff of the shorter schedule often is having longer school days, which he thinks might not be a good thing for children. By opting out of the pacing that a five-day week allows, it might seem like schools are trying to cram lessons.