Latest cost cut: Minnesota district adopts four day school week

In the kid world it's the kind of news that doesn't often come along. In essence, a snow day every week.

"Awesome! No school!" proclaims a group of MACCRAY school district students after dismissal.

School board members in the Western Minnesota district voted unanimously Monday night to operate their schools just four days a week starting this fall. "We wouldn't do the four day school week if we had money," says Greg Schmidt, MACCRAY Superintendent. "With the state budget the way it is, there's just no hope right now."

Schmidt says the MACCRAY schools would be closed on Monday, while adding roughly an hour to the regular school day to make up for 23 lost Mondays.

Teacher salaries would not be impacted, though the district estimates it would save about $100,000 a year in costs for busing, heating, substitute teachers, and school lunches.

MACCRAY is an acronym made up of the three communities the district serves: Maynard, Clara City and Raymond.

Shortening the school week would require approval by State Education Commissioner Alice Seagren.

Her spokesperson Randy Wanke says Seagren has not yet received the district's request -- the first he's aware of in Minnesota. "Once she has received that proposal, the Commissioner will conduct a review and render a decision consistent with state law."

A spokesperson for South Dakota's education department estimates six districts now operate a four day schedule, most of them in rural communities.

Savings from the shorter week would cover about a third of the cuts MACCRAY needs to make to balance the budget. But parents are hopeful it might be enough to off-set some of the proposed cuts.

"We don't want them to lose their music and arts and all the classes that they enjoy," says Michelle Kleene whose three children attend MACCRAY schools. "If it doesn't work you can always go back to five days."

Parent Kari Asche says she's disappointed her kids will be out of school each Monday, but also wants to be supportive of the district. "This is what it's come to. It's our only option."

Asche also has concerns about her children being home on Mondays while she works, and about the drain of a longer school day, a concern shared by 8th grader Steven Wilkins. "I just don't like staying in school so long," he says.

Yet most students seem to be giving the idea an enthusiastic thumbs up. When asked what she'll like best about a four day school week, 8th grader Heather Boonstra's answer could probably be expected. "We could sleep in on Monday."

By Boyd Huppert, KARE 11 News

Check out our KARE family of Web sites:
	takeKARE		Metromix
	Moms Like Me		Minnesota Bound
	Showcase Minnesota