Volusia County, Florida, school switches to four-day week – Wide Angle View Of High School Students Sitting At Desks In Classroom Using Laptops — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Monkey Business Images
Some pupils in Volusia County, Florida, have a shorter school week. The weekend officially begins when the bell rings at the conclusion of the day on Thursday.
Chiles Academy’s Charter was recently amended by Volusia County school board members to allow the school to operate on a four-day school week.
Teen moms are served by the school. According to Principal Abby Ferguson, her children needed something different.
“Students average about three days a week of attendance. On target for teen parents nationwide. Lots of things that interfere with attendance. Transportation. Work Schedules. Appointments for baby and mom,” Ferguson, “Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to do work schedules, fill in more hours at jobs, take time for themselves, or go to appointments.”
Students now report from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Classes last roughly an hour.
“Actually meeting more instructional hours than in previous years,” said Ferguson, “And attendance rates are up. In the first week, it’s usually around 67 percent. We’re at 70 percent.”
Those benefits have been highlighted by education academics as reasons why any district or school should consider making the switch.
It’s becoming more common. According to research, almost 900 school districts in the United States already operate a four-day school week. This is an increase from 650 in 2020. Hillsborough County Schools examined a shorter week last year to cope with the teacher shortage.
Back at Chiles Academy, Principal Ferguson admits to the drawbacks.
“If we were serving kindergarten through 8th graders, this would be a much different conversation. Would have younger kids not in a school on Friday,” said Ferguson.
The school does provide daycare for students who must work on Friday, but senior Arnajah Oliver says she intends to utilize the extra time to focus on being a mother to her 1-year-old son.
“Before all of this, wouldn’t be able to spend time with her,” said Oliver, “Come from school and go to work. I would get home and she’d be laying down and asleep.”
The four-day shift was a trial run for this year. The principal says she’s gathering data to determine if it’ll happen again next year and beyond.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
