4-day (govt) school weeks

Doing it for pedagogical and efficiency reasons is one thing; doing it to cover up other inefficiencies is another. Alas, that's the sort of thing you get from a government-run monopoly.

From Chris Herring in the WSJ...

A small but growing number of school districts across the country are moving to a four-day week, in a shift they hope will help close gaping budget holes and stave off teacher layoffs, but that critics fear could hurt students' education....

Of the nearly 15,000-plus districts nationwide, more than 100 in at least 17 states currently use the four-day system...

Some schools, meanwhile, say they are turning to the four-day schedule as a last resort. In North Branch, Minn., school Superintendent Deb Henton said her 3,500-student district, facing a $1.3 million deficit, is simply out of options...