The concept of a four-day work week has been a sought-after concept for many working Americans over the years. But what about the four-day school week? This once-novel concept has been gaining momentum in recent years.

The concept of a four-day school week was around before the pandemic. Rural schools, for instance, have been interested in it to cut down on high transportation costs.

But the upending of classroom education as it was long known at the height of COVID-19 lockdown protocols heightened district leaders’ looks into the option.

Currently, nearly half — 24 — of all states across the country have at least one school district with a four-day school week schedule in place, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. This represents a 600% increase from 1999.

The organization’s data also pegs the current number of participating school districts at 850, which is up from the approximately 650 school districts that had such scheduling in place in 2020.

The pros

As the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy notes, there are a number of factors driving this trend. Cash-strapped school districts have viewed it as a money saving measure.

Shaving off an instructional day and reformatting the other four days also has been viewed as a recruitment tool in communities and regions struggling to hire qualified teachers for assorted positions.

Researchers analyzing the trend also have noted a few other data points. Some reports indicate schools with 4-day schedules have less bullying and improved student attendance.

The cons

But the transition to a four-day school week could also have drawbacks, as research of school districts taking part in the trend has indicated.

RAND, a research organization, looked at the trend and noted student achievement could potentially be taking a hit.

Its analysis found math and English test stores in four-day schools had not necessarily fallen. But they also did not grow at the rate five-day schools were reporting. In other words, the four-day schools were gradually falling behind the five-day schools with each passing year.

As more data about four-day schools comes into sharper focus, analysts likely will weigh in further on the potential benefits and side effects of this trend.