Four-day school week?

Submitted by Susan Young on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 14:27.

Should Maine public schools be allowed to go to four-day weeks to save energy? Education Commissioner Susan Gendron has been asked to consider allowing districts to schedule four-day weeks, but she said there is no provision in state law allowing such flexibility; the law requires 175 school days. Districts could reap significant savings in bus fuel and heating oil costs by not having classes one day a week. Could this arrangement work? Is it worth changing state law? Do extreme conditions call for extreme solutions? Or would longer school days tire children, leading to more “down time” in the school day?

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