The four-day school week.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief article

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As the economy slows and state budgets tighten, more states are looking into allowing four-day school weeks. More than 30 years ago, in response to the energy crisis, New Mexico was the first state to allow school districts to go to four-day school weeks. Now, several schools have switched to the longer day but shorter week schedule.

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently prohibit schools or districts from having four-day school weeks because they require a minimum number of instructional days per year--in most cases 180. Twenty states, however, give districts and schools the flexibility to move to a four-day week by measuring the instructional time requirements in hours rather than days.

Most of the legislative proposals currently being considering would permit districts to use an alternative calendar as long as a minimum number of instructional hours are met.

Usually, schools that change to a four-day week take either Friday or Monday off, and expand the other school days. Proponents cite...