The Tooele County School District wants to switch Vernon, Ibapah and Dugway schools to a four-day week.
The school board voted to pursue authorization from the state school board to change the schedule for the three schools at its meeting Tuesday night.
“The communities are very supportive of moving to a four-day week,” said Mark Ernst, Grantsville area director, which includes Dugway, Vernon and Ibapah. “The survey results say the number one reason is doctor appointments.”
Ernst also said ranching families in Vernon and Ibapah like the idea of having their children home for an extra day of the week.
The Utah State School Board normally requires schools to hold class for 180 days, averaging 5.8 hours a day, yet has approved waivers for some rural schools to change to a 148-day schedule with four-day weeks of seven hours each day.
But according to Scott Rogers, Tooele County school District superintendent, the state school board has turned down requests from other school districts for a four-day schedule when the request is solely based on convenience.
The schedule change could help reduce absentee rates, according to Ernst.
In Dugway, where Dugway Proving Ground operates on a four-day week schedule, Friday is the highest absentee day with an average 13-percent absence rate.
Research shows that overall there is neither a big gain or loss in academic performance as a result of a four-day week, according to Ernst.
The two groups that are negatively affected by a four-day week are English-language learners and early primary grades. English language learners suffer because they have one day less of immersion in an English environment and early primary students appear to struggle with the longer school day, according to Rogers.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t implement a good four-day week that addresses the needs of ESL and early primary age students,” Rogers said.
The school board approved scheduling a public hearing for its March 13 meeting on the proposed schedule change for the three schools.
The public hearing is a requirement before the district can submit an application to the state school board for approval of the four-day plan for the three schools.
Currently, Rich and Tintic school districts have a four-day week in all of their schools. Tabiona High School in Duchesne School District, and Park Valley Elementary and Secondary School in the Box Elder School District, also operate with a four-day school week.