Abby-Duin Policy Paper

Abby Duin
C & C: Bullshit!
Policy Paper
Federal Law for Having School 4 Days a Week
3-18-09

This past spring and summer the gas, electricity and other prices sky-rocketed. The oil price has gone up due to the increase in demand for oil and the U.S. being in a war in the Middle East where we get most of our oil and because the big oil companies were making their biggest profits ever. The oil companies were making the consumers pay more for their oil. The electricity, and other prices such as food, has gone up due to the failing economy. Due to the drastic increase of prices, Americans were starting to budget more and drive less. This has happened before in the 1970’s. Schools were also hurting because of the high prices. They could not pay for the gas and fuel for the busses and pay for the food for the students to eat. Last spring gas prices rose to $4.70 per gallon. This caused many school boards to think about how they could save money. Some schools decided to shrink their bus routes; some considered cutting staff and other programs while others decided to cut the number of school days a week the school would be in session. Nearly 1 in 7 school boards were considering cutting a day out of the school week. (Kingsbury,2008) One of the leaders of cutting the number of days of school per week was the Cimarron school district in New Mexico. They cut the number of days school was in session in the 1970’s. Currently there are over 100 school districts in 17 states in the U.S. have switched to the four day week. The MACCRAY Public School District in Minnesota cut the number of days they attended school and they would save 10% on their transportation costs and that means a savings of $65,000 a week. (kebede,2008) In 2003 the Webster County school district in Kentucky cut their school week to four days and has saved month than $300,000 of transportation, utility and insurance costs. (Kingsbury,2008) Custer, South Dakota switched to a four day week in 1995 and estimates they have saved one million dollars. (Lance,2008) The schools that do have the four day week have reported better class attendance by both teachers and students and better performance on tests.
My policy would enforce this change to a four day school week. It would state that schools would be in session from Monday to Thursday and the students would get Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. My policy would extend the hours that school would be in session when they would have class. School would start at 8:00 and go to 3:45. The elementary students will still get the same recesses and lunch breaks. The kindergarteners will get an additional/extended nap in the afternoon. The teacher’s salary will not change. The number of days school will be in session will be 160. This is less than what most schools have now. With the money the schools will save on transportation costs and utilities, they can pay to keep the teachers they would otherwise cut. This policy would go into effect for the upcoming year after it is passed. For schools that do not apply this policy within 2 years of it being enforced there will be a fine of $15,000 per year and if the school does not switch to this law after 5 years after it is passed, the school will be shut down.
Some arguments against this would be how are the parents going to pay for child care for the extra day off and won’t the kids get in more trouble when they are not in school? The parents will be saving money because their kids will not be in daycare as long or not at all in the morning or after school so they can pay for a babysitter or take their children to daycare. Kids will not get in as much trouble because they will be in daycare or in the hands of the babysitter. I think this will also decrease the number of kids with obesity because they will be out of school and with their friends more and playing outside or sleeping because they are tired. Some employers are cutting the work week to four 10 hour days so the parents will not have to pay for daycare. Also with the economy in the state it is in now, the kids can get a part-time job. With this part-time job is sometimes the only way families can make ends meet. A lot of parents are getting laid off, so this is another reason parents won’t have to pay for daycare. This law would save the schools so much money. The morale of the students would be up and the grades would be up. What parent doesn’t want to spend more time with their kids? This will give more time for family activities and less homework.

References
Kingsbury, K. (2008). Four Day School Weeks. Retrieved March 17,2009, from Time Magazine online. Web Site: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1832864,00.html
Kebede, R (2008). Schools Eye Four-Day Week to Cut Costs. Retrieved March 17, 2009, from Reuters online. Web Site: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2439039120080724
Lance, J (2008). Can You Imagine Your Kids Going to School 4 Days a Week. Published July 28,2008 in Education. Retrieved March 17, 2009. From Ecoshildsplay online. Web Site: http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/28/can-you-imagine-your-kids-going-to-school-4-days-a-week/

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