Principal: No four-day school week at Charter Academy

The Post Falls School District went to a four-day school week.

The Coeur d'Alene School District is considering it.

In a recent letter to parents, Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy Principal Dan Nicklay left no doubt where his school stands on the issue.

"Recently, the local school district administration announced that it was considering the possibility of moving to a four-day school week, in an effort to offset a $6 million budget deficit,” he wrote. “I want to make it very clear to all of our stakeholders that the Academy will NOT move to a four-day week, regardless of what happens around us.”

Nicklay addressed a few key issues of the four-day school week.

"The first point I’d like to make is that the money savings from such a change tend to be negligible. In the words of State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield: 'You will not save significant dollars going to four days, as evidenced by the many districts that moved to a four-day week and saw little to no cost savings in the long run.'" Nicklay wrote. "If the CDA School District does choose to make this move, you can expect to continue to see the same financial issues."

Nicklay wrote that another "crucial point" is that in a typical 40-week school year, moving to a four-day week results in the loss of 40 instructional days.

"Forty days less of teaching and learning! Advocates of the four-day week will point to a slightly longer school day, as if adding ten minutes to each class every day will compensate for losing the equivalent of EIGHT WEEKS of schooling. It will not," he said.

Nearly 600 students attend Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy.

Since writing the letter, Nicklay said he has received 100% positive feedback from parents. 

He wrote in the letter that every major decision a school administration makes should be based on what is best for its students, and not on teacher retention, employee morale or financial benefit. 

"None of those common arguments is worthy of discussion unless it has first been determined that less school will lead to improved student outcomes," Nicklay wrote. "It will not. In fact, even proponents of the four-day week typically don’t talk in terms of benefiting students, but instead talk about how to minimize the inevitable harm."

Nicklay also wrote that it will be nearly impossible to undo the change if the four-day school week proves to be a failure. 

"Once teachers, students and families get used to three-day weekends, they will not give them up easily," he wrote.

Nicklay said he wanted to share the school’s stance on the issue so parents and students can start making decisions about next school year. 

"The Academy will still be here for our students, five days per week, delivering quality education. And our students will continue to lead the state," he wrote. "I hope that, like me, you believe that the answer to the state’s education woes is not less school, but better school, defined by high academic standards and student achievement."

Stefany Bales, the Coeur d'Alene School District’s director of community relations, said the district is still looking at its options with a different school week schedule.

"It's safe to say there is good support for a condensed week in our district from those who would be most impacted by such a change," Bales wrote.

Bales wrote that 94 school districts and charter schools in Idaho are already operating within four-day school weeks. 

"Why? Because condensed weeks offer numerous benefits for students, families and schools," she wrote.

Bales cited several pros, including improved student retention, enhanced teacher collaboration and training and family flexibility. She said cost savings would also accompany a compressed schedule.

"Moving to a 4-day weekly schedule would save our district $1 million per year, while a change to an alternative 5-day/4-day schedule would save $500,000 per year," Bales wrote.

Bales said the district asked families and staff via an email survey for their feedback on two different condensed week schedules: a four-day week and an alternating five-day/four-day week and survey results are expected next week.

"Condensed school weeks present a compelling opportunity to reimagine the traditional educational model and foster positive outcomes for students, families and educators alike," Bales wrote.

Nicklay's letter to parents on the four-day school week generated numerous comments on social media, both in agreement and disagreement.

"Am I the only one who HATES the idea of 4 day school weeks? As a single working parent that’s one day I have to struggle to find childcare or take time off work which I can’t afford. Some peoples kids like mine aren’t old enough to take care of themselves on that one day," wrote Alexis Curry.

"We absolutely love the 4 day week in PF. It's one of the biggest reasons we moved to PF from CDA. I love having the extra day with my kids and it makes taking trips down south easier for our whole family," wrote Sagan Pharis.

According to the National Conferences of State Legislatures, a nonpartisan public officials' association that comprises sitting state legislators, four-day school weeks have pros and cons.

The organization cited cost savings, improved student attendance and increased teacher morale as benefits.

It also stated that longer school days can be difficult for students, pose challenges for families with finding child care on the fifth weekday and even leave some students without lunch on the extra day off from school.

The National Conferences of State Legislatures said studies on the four-day school week have had mixed results.

"One study of students in Colorado showed a statistically significant improvement in math scores among students on a four-day schedule, while a similar study found no significant differences in student performance," according to the NCSL.