1Most schoolchildren can agree on one thing: Monday is the least favorite day of the week. After a weekend of spending time with their family and friends, few children relish the Monday morning sounding of the alarm or call of “It’s time to get up!” from down the hall. The notion of eliminating Mondays from the calendar has probably crossed the minds of many students. Unbeknownst to them, many school administrators are seriously considering the idea.

2In 1973, an embargo on oil shipments to the West sent gas prices through the roof and led to a nationwide rationing of gas. The government took radical measures to conserve gasoline. Many states reduced the maximum speed limit to fifty-five miles per hour and implemented systems that only allowed drivers to purchase gas on certain days of the month. The oil crisis also affected schools and businesses, many of which closed on Mondays or Fridays in order to save on heating and energy costs. After the embargo ended, many schools and businesses returned to five-day school weeks and workweeks.

3Once again, Americans face ever-rising energy costs. Because many states require school districts to provide transportation for students, many administrators are looking for ways to slice the budget. Some districts are cutting extracurricular activities, school trips, and even faculty members in order to make ends meet. Others are looking at how smaller school districts have managed to save money by establishing a four-day school week.

4Having few financial resources forces many rural school districts to make tough decisions when it comes to budgeting. Many rural schools ferry students across hundreds of miles each day. Combine this with skyrocketing oil prices, and many districts feel the pinch at the pump more than ever before. These concerns have led many districts to close school on either Mondays or Fridays, giving students a permanent three-day weekend.

5Supporters believe that the four-day school week has many benefits. Schools that have been using the program for several years report improvement in the attendance of both students and faculty, while also slashing their energy bills. Some districts also reported unexpected benefits to the shorter school week. Students in several schools received substantially higher scores on state exams after the implementation of the four-day school week.

6Of course, the program does have its opponents. Parents and guardians who work full-time worry about what they will do with younger children on the extra day off. With many families struggling in tough economic times, the added cost of childcare once a week is an extra burden that most cannot afford. Others complain that students should be spending more time in school, fearing that such a gap between classes could lead to a drop in retention of lessons.

7States that allow four-day school weeks require that the students spend the same number of hours in class each week. For high school students, this means shortening breaks between classes while lengthening the school day by about an hour. Some people are concerned that long school days cut into extracurricular activities and after-school jobs.

8While the debate will rage on in some districts, many parents, students, and teachers who have experienced the four-day week cannot imagine reverting back to the Monday through Friday program. Though many people remain skeptical, many districts see the benefits of the program, both financial and academic, greatly outweighing the disadvantages.