Law enforcement: Kids stay cool when not in school

KELLOGG –– With the school district considering a four-day school week, a big question remains: What are children going to do all Friday?

At the elementary and middle schools, they will have access to after-school programs, both of which will provide the students with breakfast and lunch, but those programs don't exist for the high school.

That has some people concerned. “I honestly think it will cause more issues. (The) Problem that I have been seeing is there is no place for the kids to go after school or the weekends, so they just get into trouble and vape,” said one resident via social media.

For local law enforcement, that's not a concern. 

“I don’t have stats showing the juvenile crime rate difference between summer months and school year months, but I’d say we respond to more juvenile calls during the school year than we do during the summer months,” Kellogg Police Chief Paul Twidt said. “Maybe we see an increase in juvenile calls on Friday, but I personally don’t think crime rates are going to skyrocket.” 

Pinehurst Police Chief John Richter agreed.

“Our kids are pretty good, including during the summer break,” Richter said. “I don’t believe that we will see any applicable rise in crime.” 

Meanwhile, the Post Falls School District, which is piloting a four-day schedule this year, is receiving increasingly positive feedback. According to a February 2024 survey by the Post Falls School District, 76.6% of parents are now in favor of the four-day week, which is up from the 62% who were in favor of the change in March of last year.