Should the School Week Be Shorter?

Do you get the Monday-morning blues? Students in Lathrop, Missouri, don’t. They go to school only from Tuesday through Friday! Lathrop is one of more than 500 U.S. school districts that have four-day school weeks. 

That saves money on electricity and buses. It offers more time for teachers to prepare and for kids to do homework. 

But some people point out that these schools make the other four days up to 50 minutes longer. This is to make up for the lost day. They argue kids may lose focus during the longer days.

My school week is only four days. We have longer school days, but that’s OK. We get an extra day to refresh, so we don’t feel stressed. This helps us take care of our mental health. 

It also helps us catch up on homework. We can spend more time with family. And we can participate in more sports and other activities. This makes us more well-rounded!

A shorter school week usually means longer school days. I’d be more tired and less likely to concentrate. Also, teachers may give more homework to make up for what they can’t fit into four days.

Some parents who work might feel pressure. They would need to find childcare for their kids during the day off from school. That’s an extra cost.