The move would make Broken Arrow the largest district in the state with a four-day week. The calendar is common in rural districts, where Oklahoma’s educator shortage is particularly tough. The shorter workweek is touted as a teacher recruitment and retention tool.
In Oklahoma, four-day weeks were borne out of a desire to improve finances. Theoretical savings from being closed for a day were never all that significant. But the practice has become incredibly popular, as almost 100 districts have adopted the practice over the last decade.
Lawmakers tried to limit the practice in 2019 by requiring a minimum of 165 instructional days. At the time, GOP party leaders said the four-day weeks were hurting the state’s reputation and keeping businesses out.
Academic studies illustrate many pros and cons of the shortened week calendar. In Oklahoma, the chief reported benefit by superintendents has been an increase in teacher retention, who enjoy the shortened work week.
One 2021 Rand Corporation study of four-day school weeks found:
- There is no significant difference between four and five-day districts regarding student performance.
- Parents and students in rural districts overwhelmingly prefer four-day weeks.
- Students spend more time each day at school, but over the course of the year they get significantly less instruction when compared to their peers at five-day schools.
- Students at four-day schools had more time for extracurricular activities.
- Four-day students reported getting better sleep and less tired than their peers at five-day schools.
- There are limited cost savings in the switch. However, districts like those small savings.
But many of these results come from small schools.
Logistical challenges in such a large district like Broken Arrow are intimidating. What would happen to the thousands of kids needing daycare on the fifth day they’d normally be in school? How would the move impact academic outcomes?
School board members are weighing a potential addition in child care services that would cost millions, a loss of millions of dollars in child nutrition revenues and complications for the human resources department.
In Broken Arrow, the proposed change comes from school administrators. But School Board President Steve Allen leans toward pumping the brakes.
“I think we have got to continue to work, look for answers to the challenges instead of forcing this down the community's throat and saying 'we're doing this by God, let's go,’” he said.
The school board must decide by February if the next school year will feature a four-day week.
Broken Arrow administrators are asking for community feedback by Dec. 22.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
