Should District 51 Go To A 4-Day School Week?

More Colorado schools are moving to the shorter week.

As the school year gets set to start in Mesa County District 51 the debate is back, "Should District 51 go to a 4-day week schedule?"  Front range school District 27J in Adams, Broomfield, and Weld counties started school last week and for the first time, it's a 4-day school week.

Revenue savings is the main motivation behind the change. The district claims they'll save about $1 million a year by going to the 4-day week. Ditching the 5th day saves the district money on transportation and utility bills.

The district claims too that the students level of education won't be negatively affected by the shorter week.“We are 100 percent committed to providing our students with the necessary skills and competencies that will enable a future far beyond graduation. To that end, I believe it is in our students’ best interest to provide high quality, engaged teachers using 2121st-century tools for learning four days a week rather than not have them five days a week,” says Chris Fiedler, 27J Superintendent.

Parents get that one less day a week will save the school district money, but some say it will cost them more. That's because parents who work on Mondays (the weekly off day) are going to have to pay someone to look after their kids.  District 27J students attend school from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM on Tuesday through Friday.

More and more schools across the state and country are moving in this direction. So, what do you think? Should District 51 move to the shorter 4-day school week?

Credit: Fox31