Four day week liked by teens

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

The verdict is in: High schoolers in Carbon County School District 2 who are on the four-day week want to keep it.

With 113 student surveys received from Saratoga Middle High School and 75 from Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow Middle High School, the younger crowd tipped the scales against the staff and parent votes at the online polling booths. While parents and staff continue to battle it out, more than 70 percent of students at both schools approved of the four-day week.

The Encampment student council voted against having students fill out the District 2 school week survey. Still, a lone student voice emerged from the 60 community-member polls in the town.

“Being a student at Encampment,” the opinion went, “I believe that the four-day schedule is not the best way to go. By having five days in our school week ... the school year ends earlier and the days do not have to add more hours.

“Our parents would have to find a child-care service to watch over their little ones (and some) don’t have the money to do that. Yes, in some ways the four-day schedule would be nice because game days would always be on Fridays ... Why change something that has worked in the past?”

The community member and teacher votes in Encampment also chirped a tune of support for the five-day schedule. They touted consistency, more learning time, matching parent-child schedules and keeping kids out of trouble on Fridays as reasons to maintain the five-day week.
On the Saratoga and HEM side, parents and teachers largely stood alongside students, showing support for the four-day schedule.

Primary concerns of Saratoga and HEM community and staff members included attention to activity schedules outside of sports and addressing the differing schedules within the district and towns.

On the elementary level, the school board may as well flip a coin to determine overall schedule opinions. Split down the middle, the survey generally shows that high school is one thing and elementary school is another.

Saratoga Elementary School parents rolled out in numbers that topped those surveyed in Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow and Hanna. In the three smaller schools, 16 parents and community members said they mainly supported the current four-and-a-half day schedule. The 81 Saratoga community-member surveys showed roughly 50 percent support the four-day schedule.

On the staff side, people affiliated with Saratoga Elementary School generally supported their current schedule. Meanwhile, it’s the teachers at Hanna, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow elementary schools who are doing the splits. Seemingly battling for extra time with either the four-and-a-half day or five-day week, they stood fast against switching to four days.

In Encampment, results were polled for kindergarten through 12th grade inclusively, so individual grade results were less apparent. Based on comments, the surveys seemed to show majority support for the five-day week.

Various Voices

“Not having to miss class because of sports helps me keep my grades up.” — Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow Junior Senior High School student.

“My children aren’t in sports, so this works very well. I can’t see any sense for them to go to school on sport days when nothing is done anyway. I prefer the four-day schedule.” — HEM parent.

“A regular five-day schedule would be better for my students, particularly the at-risk students.” - Hanna Elementary School staff member.

“We are five distinct communities with different needs — different schedules is a way of meeting those needs.” — Elk Mountain Elementary School staff member.

“I feel that our staff does not have enough time to meet in regard to children and planning. Perhaps a four-and-a-half day week might help to that end.” — Encampment School staff member.