4 Day School Week Possible In PA Under New Law

PENNSYLVANIA - K-12 public school students in Pennsylvania are now able to attend school for just four days a week under a new law.

The legislation, inked by Gov. Josh Shapiro in December, amended the Pennsylvania School Code to eliminate the required 180 school day minimum and establish a more flexible framework for school districts in the Keystone State.

From the current school year onward, Pennsylvania public school districts now have the option to provide 180 school days or roughly 900 hours of annual instruction at the elementary level and 990 hours of annual instruction at the secondary level (districts were previously mandated to do both).

This could look like four day weeks with extended hours, such as Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday (optional enrichment activities, teacher development or tutoring may be offered during the fifth day). You can read the full text of the legislation here.

Pennsylvania was one of 18 states with a day and hour requirement before Shapiro signed the bill on Dec. 14, advocates said.

In a memo to Pennsylvania House members, the legislation's primary sponsor Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford) said the amended code would "allow for increased individualized education, student support, and more focused workforce development."

A four day school week would also allow flexibility for inclement weather, community events, Individualized Education Plans, internships, apprenticeships, remote learning and more, the representative added.

"Counting seat time is an outdated method of providing instruction to todays’ students," Topper said.

"All students learn at different paces — some require less time to obtain the skills — others require more support and more time. Adjusting the current statute will allow schools to develop their school calendar around the specific needs of the local community, school and students."

Advocates say similar amendments in other states could also help ease teacher vacancies, bus driver shortages and budgetary gaps by saving money on food, transportation and energy costs. According to the Education Committee of the States, the maximum possible cost savings for districts on a four day week is 5.43 percent, with average savings ranging from 0.4% to 2.5 percent.

Districts with a four day school week could also be attractive to teaching candidates, with a December Education Week Research Center survey of teachers, principals and school district leaders reporting two-thirds of respondents being "slightly" or "much more" willing to take on a job in a four day week district.

But competition seems to be ramping up among school districts, with about 850 of districts in 24 states now operating under a four day schedule, up from 650 in 2020, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most of these schools are in smaller, rural districts facing budget constraints and staffing shortages.

Though large-scale data has yet to be collected, some state-specific studies show promise in the four day school week: one Colorado study touted a statistically significant improvement in math scores among students on a four day schedule, and another analysis found no significant differences across student performance. Yet another study found more significant differences for four day schools in suburban areas than those in rural ones, and that reading levels were impacted more than math scores on four day schedules.

A study from Rand Corp. found improvements in student attendance, school climate and emotional well-being in schools operating under a four day schedule, though there were no significant differences found regarding sleep, fatigue and student achievement.