IRON COUNTY, Utah — When it’s Friday, it’s time for kids to go home for the last day of the school week. But what if it wasn’t? What if Thursday were the last day of the school week?
The Iron County School District Board is currently considering two different calendars. One is the traditional 5-day calendar most students are used to, and the other is a four-day school week.
The 4-day proposal has been in the air for about a month, and about 2,600 parents and around 760 school employees have chimed in. A poll conducted by the district found 71% of school staff are for the shortened week, with 66.6% of parents giving it a thumbs up.
"I'm for it! He can spend more time with me," said parent Julia Amatais of her 10-year-old son.
Iron County wouldn’t be the first school district in the state to switch to a four-day week. Neighboring Garfield County started the schedule this year, while Piute and Wayne counties switched in the last two years.
The latest push in Iron County was for financial reasons. With nine elementary and eight secondary schools, the district ranks near the bottom in the state in spending per student. Local voters rejected a school bond in 2024, and in September, the state tax board rejected a tax increase for the district.
Since proposing the four-day school week, Shauna Lund with the school district says school officials have found that financial savings would be short-term.
"That cost savings would probably occur in the first two years, and then it would even out to about where we are right now," she said. "So cost savings, no, but they are looking at things like teacher retention."
Stanford University research found at best, there would be a 2% financial savings for schools. Other recent studies found that many districts saw teacher retention get worse. As far as academic performance, the results were mixed, with test scores rising in more rural districts but decreasing in larger ones.
Lund said the pros coming from teachers and parents in favor of the 4-day school week include that students’ brains have tuned out by Friday. One teacher told FOX 13 News that on Fridays, half the students usually do not show up.
"Fridays are by far the least attended day for students. Eliminating Fridays would immediately improve attendance across the district," claimed Iron County School Superintendent Lance Hatch.
The public will get its say on school schedules at town halls scheduled on December 2, before the school board makes a decision before the end of the year. If approved, the state would ultimately have to give the go-ahead.
