4+1 School Week Initiative

Stony Creek Joint Unified School District is exploring the implementation of a four-day school week for the next school year as part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and student success. This model offers potential benefits such as enhanced instructional quality, improved attendance, and increased flexibility for students, families, and staff. As we consider this option, our goal is to balance academic excellence with the well-being of our school community, ensuring that we meet the unique needs of our rural district while preparing students for a bright and successful future.

At Stony Creek Joint Unified School District, we value the voices of our community and are committed to maintaining open and transparent communication. We have hosted several town halls and board meetings to discuss important initiatives, including the potential transition to a four-day school week, and we will continue to hold these gatherings in the future. Your input is essential as we strive to make informed decisions that benefit our students and families. We invite you to be part of this ongoing conversation. If you have questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Superintendent Pendell at ependell@scjusd.org. Together, we can ensure the success of our schools and the bright futures of our students.

Commonly Asked Questions

A 4-day school week involves adjusting the school calendar so that students attend school for four days each week instead of the traditional five. This model is being considered to potentially reduce student absenteeism, increase teacher retention, and provide students with more time for family, rest, or extracurricular activities.

Improving Student Engagement, Attendance, and Academic Performance:

Districts report and evidence supports that a well-implemented four-day school week leads to improved student engagement, attendance, academic performance and test scores. The additional day off provides students with opportunities for rest, enrichment activities, family time, and cultural engagement, which is particularly important for our Native American students.

Enhancing Teacher Retention and Recruitment: 

The labor pool in our remote Frontier School District is extremely limited. Most of the staff commute 25-60 miles from larger towns outside the district. Attracting quality staff is very challenging to fill vacant positions. A study by Penn State University highlighted that teachers working in districts with a four-day week reported higher job satisfaction and lower stress by offering better work-life balance. This staff “well-being centered” approach aided in district recruitment and retention efforts.

Enhanced Professional Development: 

The extra day off can provide more opportunities for teacher training and professional development without disrupting classroom time. This can lead to more effective teaching strategies being implemented and ultimately improve student outcomes.

Cultural Responsiveness and Impact in our Community:

By adopting a four-day school week, we aim to offer more flexibility for our Native American students to participate in cultural, familial, and community activities, thereby enriching their educational experience and strengthening community ties as well as our agricultural families who need more time to work on the ranch as a family. Parents and students in districts with four-day school weeks benefit from the three-day weekend for more rest, time for family activities, shopping trips, and doctor appointments in town. This resulted in markedly lower absenteeism and higher grades.

 

Extended Learning Opportunities: 

The day off from traditional schooling can be used for enrichment activities, tutoring, or special interest clubs that might not fit into the regular school schedule. This can be particularly beneficial for students needing extra help or those looking to explore subjects and activities beyond the standard curriculum.

School days will be extended to ensure that students receive the required instructional hours. This might involve starting the school day earlier, ending it later, or a combination of both. Specific schedules will be determined after thorough planning and consultation with stakeholders. See below for the proposed schedule for the 2025-2026 school year.

The transition is expected to reduce operational costs in areas such as transportation, utilities, and substitute teacher expenses. However, detailed financial analysis will be conducted to understand the full impact, including any potential need for increased after-school care or adjustments in staff compensation.

The change aims to benefit the school community by providing students and staff with more flexibility. The district may provide enrichment, credit recovery, and tutoring on the fifth day. The district will work with community organizations to explore options for supporting families during this transition.
Meal programs will still be provided by the district on the 5h day. The district will work to ensure counseling services remain accessible. This might include offering services on a flexible schedule or coordinating with local organizations to provide support.
Implementation will involve detailed planning, communication with stakeholders, and adjustments to school operations. The district will establish metrics to evaluate the impact on student achievement, financial savings, and community satisfaction. Ongoing assessment will allow for adjustments to ensure the model meets the needs of all stakeholders.
The district values the input of all community members and will provide multiple channels for feedback, including surveys, public forums, and direct communication with school administrators. Feedback will be crucial for refining and improving the 4-day week model. If you have questions or feedback, please reach out to Superintendent Pendell at ependell@scjusd.org.

Calendar
Bell Schedule
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From an Idea to a Bill to a Law