Dire financial times means making critical choices in how we educate our children.
The MACCRAY school district in west-central Minnesota has done just that with a proposal to move to a four-day school week next year to save busing and heating fuel.
The plan to cut Mondays from the school week and add an hour Tuesday through Friday will save about $65,000 from the district’s $7 million budget, mostly in transportation costs. The district also says it will set the thermostat in the school at 60 degrees when students are there to help save money.
The action, which is awaiting approval by the state Education Department, is understandable, given the tough times schools have faced in the last few years. And now, as fuel costs continue to climb, schools will be even more hard pressed to continue to operate in the status quo. Even if the district is able to cut money with a four-day school week, it still needs to trim another $200,000 from its budget by next year.
The four-day school week proposal is an example of creative problem solving. The district clearly identified where its budget problems are and looked for innovative solutions.
The move may require parents to be equally creative when considering where their children will spend Mondays. Working parents may face difficulties in finding a place for their children as safe and cost-effective as the public school has been. But with a little effort, we’re sure that families will find solutions and create a new school-day routine by next year.
Financial woes for schools are only being magnified by the record-level fuel prices. Other districts must learn a lesson from the MACCRAY district in looking for ways meet their financial needs.