Bill targets shorter school weeks in Washington

By Michelle Dupler, Herald staff writer

OLYMPIA -- Students in some Washington school districts could see shorter school weeks starting this fall.

Legislation introduced by Sen. Jim Honeyford and Rep. Dan Newhouse, both Sunnyside Republicans, would allow school districts to shorten the school week from five days to four to save costs on heating, janitorial service and busing.

"It's a local option and it's up to the school district for them to work out to either accept it or reject it," Honeyford said. "It's not a mandate to the school districts."

The two bills -- one in the House and one in the Senate -- would allow school districts to apply to the State Board of Education to waive the requirement that they have a minimum of 180 school days a year.

But that doesn't mean students would get less schooling, Newhouse said.

Districts still would have to maintain the current requirement of 1,000 hours of instruction for first through 12th graders, and 450 hours for kindergartners.

That would give the districts some flexibility to decide to have four-day weeks when it benefits students, staff and the community, Newhouse said.

"It's a very permissive bill to allow the districts to tailor fit what works for them," Newhouse said.

States such as Oregon and South Dakota have tried a four-day system with some success, he said.

The main reason for the bill is to allow districts to find ways to save money in a year in which Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed $800 million in cuts to K-12 education to help fill a projected $5.7 billion or more revenue gap.

Honeyford said even if schools stay open for longer days four days a week, they'd save money on utilities, janitorial and transportation costs by being closed for that fifth day.

Newhouse said districts could benefit in other ways by having the flexibility to create their own schedules.

One example he gave was that during football season, away games may take a significant number of students and staff out of small, rural districts. Bickleton, for example, has just 32 high school students. If several leave for a football game and take teachers with them, that affects the students who stay behind.

"It's not an idea that we'll probably see Kennewick, Richland, Sunnyside or Yakima use, but it suits the smaller, rural districts," Newhouse said.

And he thinks students could use the extra day for extracurricular activities, mentoring, tutoring or working at part-time jobs.

"I don't think encouraging those kinds of things is bad," he said.

Newhouse said he has support for the bill from House Democrats.

"It's raised a few eyebrows, but I've gotten some positive comments," he said. "I'm hopeful that it has a good chance."

Honeyford said he hasn't gotten any feedback from his fellow senators on his version.

The Washington Education Association, the professional union for public school district employees, believes the bill would wreak havoc with local schools' calendars and teachers' contracts, said spokesman Rich Wood.

"What we really need to focus on is providing funding for our schools," Wood said.

Newhouse also has heard concerns from parents who worry about child care if the school week lasts only four days instead of five.

"It is an issue we'd have to address," he said.

Newhouse's bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, and Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, will get a hearing in the House Education Committee at 10 a.m. today.

No hearing has been scheduled on Honeyford's bill in the Senate.

tool name

Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009

Bill targets shorter school weeks in Washington

By Michelle Dupler, Herald staff writer