Majority of WHS students in favor of four-day week
The Warsaw school district is considering a change to a four-day school week next school year in hopes to boost student attendance. While parents will have a chance to learn more about the proposed change at the March 8 forum, high school students seem mostly in favor of the shortened week.
In a recent student survey of 108 students, 59.3 percent were strongly or somewhat in favor of the change, 26.9 percent were either strongly against or somewhat against it. There were also 13.9 percent of students surveyed who were neutral on the decision.
The change would lengthen the school day, starting at approximately 8 a.m. and dismissing at approximately 3:30 p.m. and would lengthen class periods in the high school by 5 or 6 minutes.
Many students cited that they would have more time to get caught up with stressful schedules and more personal time to work on homework or projects. Students surveyed claimed they thought the change would improve student attendance.
“I would love to have a four day week having a full day to rest and get caught up would really help stressed out students,” Senior Caitlin Easter said. “This won’t benefit me because I’ll be graduated, but I feel it will benefit the students’ grades and attendance,” Easter said. “I think with more breaks spread throughout, students would be more likely to come often. With more time to relax, and not missing as much school when you get sick, it makes school a lot easier.”
Students also say they would appreciate the day to plan appointments that would normally force them to miss class.
“I feel like it will give people more time to do their work, and teachers an extra day in order to do their work for school, so that they’ll have more time for their family,” Sophomore Samantha Blake said.
Scrivener said she thinks the shorter school week will help her rest up for the week due to frequent illness.
“I think it’s great or someone like me, (exhibit A) being sick all the time. I know that people getting sick all the time is because they get up early and we don’t have as much time to rest,” Scrivener said. “So with the school doing this we would have more time to chill out more. You would also have more time to hang out with your friends, and friends that live away from you.”
Students against the change say longer days and longer classes would make it more difficult for students to stay alert. Other reasons included earlier mornings, later after-school practices and more down time for teens to get into trouble. Some students had educational concerns due to an extended period away from school every weekend.
Sophomore Katelyn Allen is concerned she would have less learning time with a four-day schedule. She is also concerned about after-school schedules.
“If we have longer days then that means that people who do sports, the practice would go on and on, causing them to get home really late, and you wouldn’t have time to do homework,” Allen said.
