Blackfoot school district considers 4-day week
Blackfoot School District Facebook page
Superintendent Kress presenting his State of the District report
I have had the privilege of attending a school board work session and a public input session for
a nearby school district that is exploring the implementation of a 4-day school work. During
that time, I came to a very significant realization. One of the invited guests for the work session
was a superintendent of a school in Idaho. He made a statement which resonated with me. He
said, “I will tell you what the biggest obstacle to transitioning to a 4-day school week was in our
district, it was me.” He followed up by saying it was ultimately he who had blocked the
community and district from exploring a 4-day school week. I fear the Blackfoot School District
has the same obstacle. I have been properly quoted as saying, “The Blackfoot School District
will never go to a 4-day school week.” I have no doubt that stance has shut down any and all
discussion about a 4-day school week. It is time I acknowledge the obstinance of my thoughts
regarding this issue.
I have lamented many times that education has turned into a competition for students. I
believe the Blackfoot School District does a great job in this competitive arena. I am now
starting to worry we are not only in competition for students, but employees as well. In the
very near future, we will likely be the only school district in Bingham County that is NOT on a 4-
day school week schedule. I can no longer be the only reason we are not exploring this option
for our district.
I believe the board members know that the Blackfoot School District superintendent works
diligently to get a head start on analyzing the impact of any proposed change to our district. I
have done some initial legwork to help us get an idea how this might impact our district. I am
sharing with the board a preliminary comparison of what a 4-day school week schedule might
look like. I am asking the board to allow me to explore this option with our parents, employees,
and students. I would plan on conducting a survey with the mentioned stakeholders to gauge
the interest in a 4-day school work. If the interest supports further investigation, I would like to
plan a board work session to investigate the impact of a 4-day school week according to
research-based data. If, after these steps, the concept warrants further exploration, I would be
ready to take the necessary steps for the board to make an informed and appropriate decision
regarding this matter.
Chaz Spraker • Feb 10, 2021 at 3:56 pm
I believe that a 4 day week helps kids be kids by letting us have more time outside of school. While still being able to learn during the week. It has giving me breaks that I need.
Whitney Christiansen • Feb 10, 2021 at 1:48 pm
Having a 4 day school week has definitely been a blessing! I love having longer weekends to rest and do other things besides school because I feel like that’s all I do. I am so happy it turned out this way and I think it has definitely been beneficial to everyone!
Jake P. • Feb 9, 2021 at 11:46 am
I believe this was a great decision. I enjoy the extra free time and I especially enjoy that I can get my work done with less stress. This is one of the best choices that’s happened in this district in a long time and my only complaint is that it didn’t come sooner.
Creed Wray • Feb 9, 2021 at 11:45 am
The 4 day school week has been an amazing decision. It has given me more free time during the weekend while still giving me enough time to learn while at school
Deegan Hale • Feb 8, 2021 at 10:49 am
I have enjoyed a 4 day week much better than a 5 day week because it gives me more time to do things I want to outside of school. The extended class periods has not been that much of a difference, so going 1 less day of school is all worth it.
Rachel sayre • Feb 4, 2021 at 3:21 pm
I like the 4 day school week. I have time for home work and being with my family and friends. The only thing I don’t like is how long the days are. But I still like it.
Ryan Harkness • Feb 4, 2021 at 3:19 pm
I am very thankful for the 4 day school week. It gives me a longer weekend to work on homework, and it has actually been less stressful than a 5 day school week.
Brecken W. • Feb 4, 2021 at 3:00 pm
I personally like the 4 days a week. But there is some flaws. We don’t get as much help from teachers. Then we have quite a bit more homework. On the other hand we have more motivation to work when we are at school. I don’t love school going to 4:15 but it is a lot nicer having a full Friday off.
Ceciley Walker • Feb 4, 2021 at 2:31 pm
I’m really glad that this vote passed. I feel a three day weekend will give students more time to be ready for the school week coming up.
Lilly Baker • Feb 4, 2021 at 11:17 am
The four day school week for me is a grey-area. I think the new schedule gave more opportunities for students and teachers to put more learning and teaching into the week, while also allowing a 3-day weekend as an excellent break. However, the 4-day week does have the extra time in-school, which could be a problem for students who have to study/do homework after-hours or have jobs. Yet, there is that extra day, Friday, that like I mentioned earlier, has those opportunities for work or free-time and even studying if needed. So all in all I do agree with the 4-day week, even with some flaws.
Aden Porter • Feb 2, 2021 at 4:46 pm
I think the four day school week is pretty great. Of course at this time it is already in place, so I already know what its like. Especially since this article took place nearly a year ago. I guess the question is whether or not we should keep it now. I could argue both sides of this. I feel like the four day week messes with my sleep schedule a little more, but that is my fault. However I definitely like it as well because it gives me more time to do what I want because I can finish my homework on Friday then hang out with friends on Saturday. That doesn’t happen too often though, so I don’t know why I mentioned that. It probably helps others though. I do like how I get more time in some of my classes to finish school work so that I do not have homework. Although, in some of my other classes I end up getting bored and end up not paying attention.
Kristiana Farr • Mar 5, 2020 at 12:38 pm
I like the idea of the 4 day week, but I also see many faults in this new system. If we had changed our schedule to a 4-Day week, we would need longer days, which can effect many things; things such as students who have work after school would need to change their schedule and work less hours during the week. Although many schools around us have 4-Day weeks, we have never had a personal problem sitting healthily with our regular schedule. As there is some cons to this, there is also some good to come out of it if it is voted as a yes. If we changed our schedule, parents would be upset that their kids wouldn’t have a place to go on Fridays. This would open opportunities for high schoolers to get a job as a baby-sitter for Friday’s. I think this would prove beneficial. Although I am entirely Neutral on this, and I would be okay with either way they choose, weither it would be to keep the schedule or change it, I would enjoy the shorter week.
Annora Applegate • Mar 3, 2020 at 3:31 pm
I believe going to a 4 day week can help the school evolve if it’s done right. Like dont back hand the students so they regret thier decision for voting pro 4 days.
Selah Batacan • Mar 3, 2020 at 2:15 pm
As a student I think a 4 day week would be beneficial. Not only are there less days but, I believe, there would be less stress. A downside would be for certain staff members, because in some cases, staff gets paid by the hour. And, of course, less days = less hours.
Kaydee Tyson • Mar 3, 2020 at 9:46 am
I believe a 4 day school week is unnecessary unless changes are made to the schedule. Blackfoot is a rural area, and therefore many students return home to do chores or jobs having to do with farming or similar work. These students’ addition to their family’s work is sometimes absolutely necessary to making the work run as it should. A four day school week would push the school day even further into the day, meaning during the winter time when the sun sets early on, some students or teachers will not get home before dark. This could truly disrupt the lifestyles of many people in the district. I think with the proper changes, such as shorter classes or a shorter school day, this new schedule could easily be beneficial. However, until these changes are considered, I have to stand on the side of opposition.
Danielle Andrew • Mar 2, 2020 at 3:45 pm
Although I do see many pros and cons of the four day school week, I haven’t quite made up my mind. I am against having longer hours due to me having to visit the doctor every now and then and therefore risking having more homework and less after school hours to do it, but I’m all for the teachers and students getting Friday off. (Plus, the teachers work really hard, and moving to a four day school week will get them more money for less work!) but as I said, until I have more information, I’m staying on the side of opposition
Justin Whitehead • Mar 2, 2020 at 2:33 pm
I believe that a four day week would help our school in many ways, first of all I think it would decrease problems associated with depression, and anxiety. I also think the amount of time in each class would be so much more, that teachers would finally not only not be rushed but also be able to teach there lessons more thoroughly.
Sydney m. • Mar 2, 2020 at 1:59 pm
I think that the four day week would be beneficial to students because we could get more sleep and time for work and extra curricular activity’s.
Alexa Benitez • Mar 2, 2020 at 1:46 pm
I have gone to schools that had a 4 day school weeks and I felt like I was more productive. I was able to go to work an extra day which meant that after school I only had to go 2 hours rather than 4 hours. After work I had more time to do homework and I was getting better grades. Since I’m in debate I’m not here on Fridays and I miss a lot of school. I would like a 4 day school week.
Dominic Bogdanowicz • Mar 2, 2020 at 1:27 pm
I think that 4 day weeks would be great! The amount of kids complaining about school consuming their time is undermined but now that we have the new schedule maybe they’ll stop. It’s also really late, we are one of the only schools left in the district doing 4 day weeks.
Sydney McBride • Mar 2, 2020 at 1:04 pm
I’m conflicted on the subject. I think there is pros and cons of having 4 day weeks. It would be nice to have 3 days off but we would stay at school longer every day. Which would give us less time at home to spend with family and friends and even to do homework. Also if people have after school sports they would get home even later. I think it would be good to have more time in class but then again less time with family. So I’m not sure if I want the 4 day week or not but I’m leaning towards no.
Carly Elrod • Mar 2, 2020 at 12:54 pm
4 day school weeks could benefit all groups of people that are in the schools. Some of the small things that could potentially effect this are worth the benefits it could bring.
Mckynnah broncho • Mar 2, 2020 at 12:40 pm
Personally, I think that four school days are a plus, although, I think that having longer hours are not a good thing because from other opinions I’ve collected from, some student have to work during these hours and may have to get work release in order to make it to their job on time..along with after school activities such as clubs. The activities will not be as long or fun as a regular school day as we have now. So I would say that I have no bias along with the four day weeks of this upcoming trimester.
Ava • Mar 2, 2020 at 12:15 pm
Having a 4 days of school is a good idea but I also think it is a bad idea. I think it’s a good idea because kids have an extra day to get work done and if the don’t have work then have an extra day off. I think it’s not a good idea because honestly who is going to do work on this extra day off? Students also might need help with extra work and normally Fridays is that day for most kids that’s another reason why I also think it could be a bad idea.
Brock Andrews • Mar 2, 2020 at 11:30 am
Both the five and the four day week has advantages and disadvantages. I’m more lenient towards the five day week, so myself and other students have more classes to learn a greater variety of things. Although the four day week is more inexpensive, the five day week further benefits students’ learning. It’s a natural instinct for students to prefer the four day week so they have an extra day for recreation and excessive sleep, however the five day week has better long-term benefits with extra electives.
Aubree Christiansen • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:32 am
Personally Id like to see blackfoot make the switch to a 4 day school week. Although there are some disadvantages, I feel like the advantages outweigh this.
Cora Stringham • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:29 am
As a student, I feel like I would be rooting for 4 day school because, well, there’s less days to come to school. But if we have 4 day school then the days will be longer, and those with after school activities will be getting home super late. I think that 5 day school has been working out so why not just keep it that way. Why go through the trouble of making new school schedules when they’re already so confusing? I vote for 5 day school!
Mekhi Sandoval • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:29 am
I personally believe that 4 day weeks would be very beneficial for students, parents and teachers. Now the way it benefits students is we get an extra day to rest, study and hangout with family. Parents are able to set appointments easier. Also it’s easier to hire teachers/staff members.
magaly garcia • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:25 am
In my opinion, a four day week schedule would benefit plenty of athletes and teachers. As a student i am split on this decision, because although we get an extra day to catch up on work and spend time with our family, spending almost 75 minutes in a class room is exhausting. I am definitely split on this decision.
Blake Johnson • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:21 am
I feel like having a four day school week has it’s pros or cons. Some of the pros are more time to do homework during class, an extra day to finish work, and an extra day to go on vacation. Some of the cons are students are more likely to tune out the teacher earlier, less days for holidays, longer school day, parents will have to take off work or make arrangements for Friday’s, and less hour lunches.
Katelyn Payne • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:07 am
I think a 4-day school week would be really good for students mental health. Because they would have an extra day to relax and ‘reset’ their brain before the next week and maybe get caught up on homework as well. But I personally don’t want to get out of school later. I think if we do this 4-day week we should start school earlier so that we get out earlier and have more time for sports and whatever else we need to do.
Annie Satterthwaite • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:06 am
Being a student is hard. Weekends seem really short, and sometimes I want to skip mondays just because I don’t know if I’ve had a long enough break. That being said I think that a four day week is a good idea in theory, but when we have to modify our schedule, what kind of effect will it have on my classwork, and extra curricular activities? I want to think that I will have less work and more time, but maybe more work will be crammed in a day, I might still have a slightly larger amount of time to finish that work, but I don’t if I think that will actually happen and it’s just an unnecessary worry. I think over all though just changing it to a four day week just for money, and because everyone else is is a pointless thing. If this is not for the benefit of my education, then I don’t think we should go to a four day week.
Rylee G • Mar 2, 2020 at 10:02 am
I believe a four day school week would be very beneficial to not only the students, but the staff as well. Having a four day week would allow students to have more time to catch up on schoolwork and spend more time with their families. Almost every school around us only attends four days a week and i believe we may lose staff to the other school districts due to the fact that they could make the same amount money working a shorter week.
lexus howell • Mar 2, 2020 at 9:55 am
I am glad they are allowing the students to state their opinion on this subject and get their thoughts out. I personally have experienced a 4 day schedule when I attended charter school from first grade to seventh. Being on a 4 day schedule not only provided a longer weekend where I had the opportunity to finish assignments or projects, but it also was more stress free. One downside would be getting out of school later, but i’m sure we’d rather stay in school an extra hour than have to come another day!
Jason Denlinger • Mar 1, 2020 at 11:39 am
I think a four day week would be great in the Blackfoot School District but there are advantages and disadvantages about a four day week! Advantages are 3 day weekends more time classes and reduced attendance absences and disciplinary referrals and a better life for families. One of my biggest disadvantages is the kids that have free and reduced lunches and I worked in a low-income elementary school and a couple of the schools in the district that have eligible for Community Eligibility Provision as known as CEP that is free breakfast/lunch for the whole school and Day Care is another problem for elementary kids because the parents are not at home! and It’s not everyone.
Dessi Sanchez • Feb 29, 2020 at 8:36 pm
I would personally like the 4 days school week, just because it would be nice to have, but I would rather just stick to the 5 day school week because I don’t want to get out of school later every day.
Cameron Dawson • Feb 29, 2020 at 8:21 am
As a student and an athlete I personally think that a 4-Day week would be super significant to have, it provides the athletes who would normally miss school for track and cross country, or other sports, it gives them a day to compete without having to worry about catching up on school work that they would miss normally on Fridays. It also gives athletes a longer break to rest after a hard week of practice. Now my student side thinks that it would be a great way to work on work at school, so less homework, which can take a huge stress off of students. Everyone knows that homework is stressful especially when you have 6 classes that can give it out and only so many hours to do it, but having a 4-Day week gives that extra day plus time in other classes that could be used for homework.
Eli Gregory • Feb 28, 2020 at 3:31 pm
This subject is split 50/50 in my opinion. At first thought i was all for it. 1 full day off to do anything you want including homework from the previous days(most likely will wait till Sunday to do it anyways) and more time that can be spent with family and friends. Where it goes south for me is when i think more about how the school days will be and how sports will be affected for me. First of all, Wednesday and Thursday schedules i already struggle with it being a longer class period and i begin to lose interest so with it being even longer scares me. Also practices for sports will go on a lot later in the day which will especially affect spring sports when it is getting darker and colder earlier. Many sports events are also on Fridays and when you don’t have school on that day i feel will ruin my performance because I am out of my usual schedule.
Katia Colombo • Feb 28, 2020 at 3:14 pm
I would personally benefit from a 4-day school week, as I work multiple jobs and it’s sometimes extremely difficult to manage my attendance, my schoolwork, and my work hours. However, I also understand the cons to a 4-day school week, as it will probably not be educationally impactful towards students who tend to procrastinate on work. I also understand the perspective that those said students can utilize that time to do work. There are both benefits and downfalls to the concept.
Madisen Fisher • Feb 28, 2020 at 2:35 pm
I’m kind of on the fence for this decision; yes it would be a change compared to what we are used to, but change can be good. I get that practice will get pushed back even farther into the day and longer class hours. I struggle right now with the stress of fast lessons and not much time to see if we get the concept. With the longer hours there will be more time to better the lessons and some time left over for our homework. This time can be used so there isn’t homework after school. If you are a good student like that it shouldn’t affect you in the sports and life after school. I go on camping trips throughout the year and to be able to get where my family goes we have to leave on Fridays. I don’t like leaving school but its for family time. This can better our attendance in our school on Fridays. On the not so good side for me is…. We are encouraged to try everything we want now in high school rather then later in life and not like it. I’m in a play early morning to school to practice and home life gets chaotic. Mind you I didn’t plan this to be that crammed but I enjoy it all the same. It just makes for a long day as well as longer school will be harder not to check out. I wonder what will happen to the lunch incentive on Fridays for good grades. I think it’s a good thing for our school, not any other school has it and it’s like a reward for us kids. Either way I support the district in what they decide is best for us kids.
Piper • Feb 28, 2020 at 2:25 pm
I think that a four day week could be beneficial but I also don’t mind the five day week. Having a four day week gives us a full day to relax, do homework, and earn money. I do however struggle with the fact that sports practices will be pushed so far back in the day. I also think that having longer classes will result in students getting distracted.
Lindsey Cooper • Feb 28, 2020 at 2:12 pm
I’m interested to see where the school heads in the future. I personally don’t care either way whether we have a 4 day week or a 5 day week. Personally I just want to have the best experience at school that I can, if that means moving to a 4 day week to get more teachers then I’m all for it. I just want Blackfoot High to be the best it can be.
olivia hyde • Feb 28, 2020 at 2:11 pm
I would really enjoy to have a 4 day school week, with my extracurricular activities like dance and cheer I’m exhausted by the end of the week, especially during competition season. Having Friday off would allow me to take a break and rest, so i could be prepared and fully energized for Saturday competition!
Raegan jackman • Feb 28, 2020 at 2:09 pm
I personally don’t want to go to a four day school week, because i have a short attention span and being in class longer doesn’t sound pleasant.
Aidan Jensen • Feb 28, 2020 at 1:15 pm
I personally believe that a four day school week will be better for the district. I was at ISTCS for middle school, and a four day week worked well with for is students and the staff. I do believe that more research and far more planning should be in if such a task should take place. I do appreciate how the district is asking for inputs from their students, it helps us stay on the same page.
Karli Despain • Feb 28, 2020 at 12:13 pm
I can see benefits for going to a 4 day school week. I also see why people may not want us to go to the 4 day school week. We may have to stay later and classes would be longer but I think a whole extra day off would benefit most everyone. I never feel like I have enough time over the weekend to get the things done I want to. People playing sports could still have practices on Fridays and could actually have longer practices that could benefit athletes.
Izzy Hansen • Feb 28, 2020 at 12:12 pm
I am 100% for a school day week. I think it would be so nice to have Fridays off especially for kids that work. With no school on Friday’s kids could work all day and make and save more money for the future.
Dallan Morse • Feb 28, 2020 at 11:19 am
I would honestly be really down for a 4-day week. Since we no longer have advisory every day I need some time to catch up on my homework. I miss a ton of days for track and cross country and always fall behind in first and second trip. As long as we kept our final incentive, it would help my grades a ton
Ryan Reynolds • Feb 28, 2020 at 10:57 am
I believe a 4 day week would be good for Blackfoot because I as a student am often tired on Friday which makes it hard to concentrate and fully function when I am doing class work.
Karlee DeGiulio • Feb 28, 2020 at 10:53 am
I would love to have a 4 day week, however I also think that it would be hard for people who are involved in sports to make this change. If they had to leave school early for a game they are more likely to miss more of the subject they left in, than if it was just 60 minutes of that hour. It would also make it harder for the students to stay focused that long in one subject. I would also love to have Friday for a work day and I’m not sure I will get the help I need if we aren’t in school anymore on that day.
Misael reyna • Feb 28, 2020 at 8:44 am
I think we should have a 4 day school because we could get that extra day to study and classes would be longer not making teacher rush a lesson and giving us time to understand it more and on the Friday we can get homework done
Emma • Feb 28, 2020 at 8:39 am
I think with either way we will survive. If we do switch then we can have an extra day to catch up on work or spend time with friends and family or other activities Also if we do switch teachers will be more likely to stay because they will get payed the same amount for four days instead of five where as if we stay at five day weeks teachers will want to go to other schools where they get payed the same for less work. But some bad sides is for the kids who do sports or plays, practice times will be pushed back which will be hard cause we have homework and we want to spend time with our families. Also classes would be longer and result in kids probably getting bored or distracted more. Which ever way they choose there will be good and bad but we will live in the end
Lauren • Feb 27, 2020 at 11:14 pm
I see the benefits for having a four day week vs a five day week. One thing I like now about our five day week is that we have 6 classes in a day, which means the classes aren’t terribly long. Changing to a four day week might mean having classes that are well over an hour. I know for me, along with a lot of other students, it’s difficult to focus that long on one subject. Transitioning to a four day could also mean pushing back all after school activities which could make it more challenging for students and parents. On the other hand, four day weeks could give you an extra day to work on assignments, or just relax.
Tanner Goodworth • Feb 27, 2020 at 9:31 pm
I personally do like the sound of having a four day week. My only worry is that even with the five day schedule I feel stressed about the little time I have to work on homework each day after school. I think it will be tougher to keep up with the homework with one less hour to do so.
I don’t see why school has to last so long. According to what I found online, the minimum number of hours for instructional time is 990 hours in Idaho. For both the schedules (5 day and 4 day) we’ll exceed the minimum by over 100 hours.(5 day: 1279.3 hrs, 4 day: 1159.75 hrs) I feel that whichever schedule we decide on, should have a shorter school day.
Dennis Nichols • Feb 27, 2020 at 7:22 pm
There has been a lot of controversy between a 5 day and 4 day school week. From what I have gathered, there numerous pros and cons for each, but I have found that the majority of students wish to change to a 4 day school week next year. Some of the biggest drawbacks, in my opinion, are class times and extracurricular schedules. I have heard rumors (I don’t know if they are true) that the bell schedule would change to 5 periods instead of 6. Extended classes may tire students and they can lose interest. Additionally, extracurricular activities, including sports or club meetings, would start later and extend further into the evening. This would mean that there would be less time for homework and errands that need to be run during the week. Although, Friday would help to make up for some lost time. Overall, I am still on the fence and I’m interested to see the outcome of this debate.
Chandler Wall • Feb 27, 2020 at 5:23 pm
I do believe that a four day week would benefit not only students but teachers too. First, most students, on Fridays, are very tired and don’t want to be at school in the first place. With this attitude most students cannot or will not pay attention as much. As a result, the teacher will either have to reteach the subject on Monday or the students may not understand the subject fully. Second, the students and teachers will have an extra day off. With this day students could study, do homework, and several other things. Teachers would also get a break where they could grade papers, plan things for school, or spend time with family. There are several other reasons that a four day school week would benefit everyone in the Blackfoot School District.
McKenzie Ricks • Feb 27, 2020 at 10:40 am
I personally would enjoy a four day school week, but I wouldn’t mind it either way. It is very beneficial and confusing topic , because of the pros and cons related to the subject. Some pros would be having an extra day to complete work, more time to have quality family time, as well as an extra day just to have for you personally. A few cons would be having longer hours, and after school activities going longer in the day. We are the only school in Bingham who does not have a four day school week. So that is another thing on why we should have a four day school week. So what ever decision they make i am good.
Sadie Ariwite • Feb 27, 2020 at 9:03 am
Personally I think that a 4-day week could both be beneficial and a bit tricky for students. It becomes difficult to decide with so many pros and cons towards the subject. I would love an extra day to finish work or spend time with my family, I do believe that it would help a lot of students and teachers. We would have an extra day to relax and prepare for the next week. My biggest concern of the 4-day week is mostly what would happen to the current amount of credits needed to graduate. If the schedule changed would the amount of credits change, or would it stay the same and would we have to work harder? That’s mainly my biggest concern about the 4-day week, but I also wouldn’t mind if we did convert to the 4-day week.
Callie Shumway • Feb 26, 2020 at 2:01 pm
There are a lot of pros ans cons with a 4 day school week. I know there are a lot of people who are against it and for it and it’s hard meet EVERYONE’s needs but for me personally I would prefer a 4 day school week because I know I would use that time to work on homework and spend time with family. Not everyone would use the extra time for that, but that is what would work best for me.
taryn • Feb 26, 2020 at 1:53 pm
i think that a 4 day week could be helpful for a lot of students. And help them with attendance, I know I have missed a lot of school due to doctors appointments and most people don’t wanna go on a Saturday or Sunday. So we could schedule our appointments on a Friday and not miss a bunch of school. Also sometimes especially during a long, stressful week it’s nice to get off a day early and have more time to relax.
lacy • Feb 26, 2020 at 1:52 pm
i love that the Blackfoot School District is giving the students an opportunity to express their feelings about a four day week. i personally don’t think a four day week would change much to our schedules. this year we are getting out of school at 3:40, so it would only be about 20 more minutes of school. since class hours would be longer. we would have more time to do stuff in class and not have as much homework.
Hannah Jensen • Feb 26, 2020 at 11:27 am
I am not entirely sold on the idea of the 4 day school week but after listening to the ongoing arguments, I have decided that it would be okay to go to a 4 day week. With the matters of getting good teachers to come to the school, it would be best to switch as the new teachers would look for a school with only 4 days and the same pay. I admit that I have been a little selfish with the reasons for staying with what we already have, but as it would be easier to get new,GOOD, teachers, then I am for the 4 day week.
Sarah Despain • Feb 25, 2020 at 9:34 pm
There’s so many pros and cons to changing to a 4 day week that I can’t decide if I’m for or against it. I love the idea of spending fewer days in the classroom, especially since it opens up a entire day that I could possibly work to earn money. I also hate the thought of being the ONLY school in Bingham County that has Fridays. However, the cons weigh heavily on me. I don’t like the idea that sport practices will be pushed so far back in the day. This affects events that I usually participate in after school (and practice) hours. It also gives me less time to catch up on homework during the school week. Other possible factors (rumors) that I’ve struggled with is the possible 5 period bell schedule, and possibly eliminating the incentive for finals. I know that whatever decision is finalized, the school board is doing what they believe is the best for all of us. So whatever change it brings, I’m willing to adjust to it, no matter how opposed I may be.
Ilse Soto • Feb 25, 2020 at 7:42 pm
Personally, I don’t believe a 4-day week would be good. I feel like there would be more disadvantages than advantages.
Disadvantages:
-Having Fridays off doesn’t necessarily mean students are going to use that time to catch up.
-Longer days would mean that in the winter, students that walk home would have to walk when it’s getting dark. There are little kids that walk by themselves too and that could be dangerous.
-I don’t do activities after school, like sports, but I assume that those who do would prolly sleep even later due to that. Plus they probably have to get up earlier meaning, obviously, less rest for them.
-I have also heard about students that don’t feel safe at home and going to school is the best thing they could due to avoid bad stuff at home. More days at home, apart from breaks, could be bad for those students.
-The high school will probably have to change the way credits work.
-Mental health is important, but I’m sure one day a week won’t make a huge difference as it’s like if we had a snow day or holiday.
Plus we probably won’t lose anything staying on the original schedule.
Blair Warren • Feb 25, 2020 at 2:17 pm
I have enjoyed my time in the five day week, but I can see the problem in competing for both students and teachers. From my personal experience, a good teacher can make any subject they teach an enjoyable time, and they can change lives. So, if it benefits the district in recruiting new teachers, and us as students; I fully support the change.
Grace Balsmeier • Feb 24, 2020 at 6:04 pm
As a student, I am not sure on where I stand on this topic because I do realize that having a 4 day school week will give me and other students time to catch up on work and have a rest day at the end of the week It would also give us the ability to take care of other responsibilities. But on the other hand, it concerns me that myself and others will not get the proper education that we need since we are already on a trimester schedule and classes already move fast. Not to mention the students who are involved in sports might have a harder time keeping up with the curriculum because schools will get out later. They have practices that will start later that will take up almost 2 hours of their day after school and then they have homework, or work as well. Even though I really like the good parts of having a 4 day school week, I’m not sure how well I or other students would deal with the change.
Student • Feb 24, 2020 at 3:31 pm
Here’s what I think. Personally, a 4-day week sounds AMAZING, and as a student I should want to transition because we would have a 3-day weekend all the time, but as I started researching and gaining information, I realized it might not be as glamorous as it sounds. I don’t want to transition to 5-class trimesters whatsoever. I already struggle enough with our Wednesday/Thursday schedule with the classes being slightly longer. I honestly don’t think I will be all the way there mentally for an even longer class period. I feel like if we can find a way to keep our school year schedule close to the same with 6 classes a day rather than 5, I would be all for it, but as of right now, I’m just not sure.
Stacie Stephenson • Feb 23, 2020 at 9:05 am
4 day weeks give kids who need extra help from mental health symptoms that hinders their education. There is not enough therapist to see all the kids after school, so many parents don’t want kids missing school. Kids can go to appointments on Fridays and keep consistent treatment. The schools then benefit from students ability to focus and participate in school once their symptoms decline.
Rachel Hanson • Feb 21, 2020 at 10:06 pm
Having students participate in a 4-day school week, I am a HUGE advocate of this! I feel there are many benefits to having it. Some of these benefits that I saw were having a day to work on homework and get caught up should the need arise was so helpful for the student. It also allows for more quality work to take place in regard to projects, papers, studying, testing, staying caught up, etc. Another advantage was the time to recuperate from the tiredness that the mental and sometimes physical stress can create. My children are exhausted by Friday. They struggle getting up. The day generally starts with a negative feel toward school in general, regardless of the happy week they’ve had. Friday became not only a day to catch up on homework, but also on rest and keeping a more positive feel toward education. It truly was amazing the difference my boys had when they were in a 4-day school schedule versus five. I would love to see this change in the Blackfoot School District.