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Franklin County school board to survey community on four-day school week amid budget pressure
Summary
After a presentation on research and local feasibility, the Franklin County School Board directed staff to survey teachers, families, students and community partners about a possible four-day instructional week as a staffing and budget strategy, emphasizing the need for detailed planning around childcare, special education and instructional time.
The Franklin County School Board on Feb. 9 directed staff to gather community and staff feedback about a possible shift to a four-day instructional week as district leaders explore ways to manage rising costs and staffing shortages.
Superintendent Doug Sears and district staff framed the change as an exploratory, not immediate, option and presented research suggesting the schedule typically yields modest districtwide savings (about 1–2% of the overall budget) but can be a “powerful recruitment engine” for teachers, citing Dr. John Turner’s work. Dr. Sears said the district would need to design the non-instructional day carefully so that student learning is preserved: “The purpose for the fifth day needs to be determined first,” he told the board.
Presenters told the board transportation, food service and utilities typically drive most operational savings and that substitute-teacher needs can fall when staff rearrange appointments on non-school days. ABM and research cited by staff estimated district transportation savings and a reduction in substitute costs, but staff warned that total savings are modest and depend on local implementation.
Public commenters raised practical concerns. Lauren Walk asked, “With a four-day school week, how will families, staff and community members be surveyed? How much longer will each school day be and what counts toward required instructional hours?” Addison Hancock, speaking for teachers and parents in Snow Creek, urged the board to study child-care partnerships and how IEP and 504 services would be delivered on a non-instructional day.
Student representatives also weighed in. A student advisory member said the student advisory group had reservations and noted the potential for higher day-to-day stress if instruction is compressed; another student urged creative compromises, such as adding a supervised study hall rather than extending every class by a full hour.
Board members stressed the need for data. Chair Jeff Worley said the discussion is driven by a difficult budget outlook and repeated that the district must build more information before acting. Several members said they want a transportation efficiency audit and clearer estimates of any costs families would shoulder for childcare. The board asked staff to return with formal survey results and additional feasibility analysis in April, aligning the work with the district’s budget timetable.
Next steps: staff will prepare and distribute surveys to families, staff and students, explore potential community partners (YMCA, churches, local businesses), investigate transportation models and report findings to the board in April, before finalizing any calendar change.
