Missouri Legislature weighs shorter school weeks and controlling expenses

There are two bills in the Missouri Legislature, one in the Senate and one in the House, that would allow local school districts to adopt a four-day schedule instead of the usual Monday-to-Friday schedule. The purpose is to give financially strapped districts a way to cut down on expenses.

Several other states have either adopted or considered four-day schedules to save money. Others have abandoned the shorter school week after trying it for a while.

A four-day school schedule immediately presents some problems for working families. With a four-day week, parents would have to make care arrangements for younger children on the fifth day. Most districts also provide both breakfast and lunch to a large number of students, and for many this is their best access to nutritious meals.

It is to their credit that both bills leave the decision about schedules to local school boards. Any mandate from the legislature that would require all districts to adopt this schedule would be inappropriate.

But local school boards would have to give the option serious consideration. For some small, rural schools in closely knit communities, the problems of a four-day week might be more easily overcome. For other districts, it might never work.

At the top of consideration by both the legislature and school boards should be providing the best education possible to students. Educators for years have been saying more classroom time, not less, is essential.