A rural Texas school district recently approved a plan to shift to a four-day school week in an attempt to attract and retain more teachers, as an increasing number of people choose to leave the profession.
"Texas is experiencing a statewide teacher shortage, particularly in rural areas," the Sanger Independent School District shared on its website. "Rural school districts in Texas cannot compete with the pay and benefits packages offered by larger districts. Just like the rest of the state, the shortage is affecting Sanger ISD."
Sanger ISD serves portions of Denton - a city north of Dallas-Forth Worth - and the unincorporated community of Bolivar. The district comprises three elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools.
"In a growing trend that has proven successful in other districts across the nation and particularly in rural school districts in Texas, the transition to a four-day school week has proven to be an effective recruiting/retaining tool for teachers and all staff," the district's said.
"With a four-day instructional week, we would entice more talented teachers and staff to join Sanger ISD and decrease the ever-rising turnover rate."
The school district's announcement comes in the wake of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' proposal to shorten the workweek from 40 hours to 32 without any loss of pay.
"The world has undergone enormous changes since the 40-hour workweek was set by the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1940," a fact sheet released by Sanders' office reads.
"American workers are now over 400% more productive than they were back then and continued technological advances are likely to increase the gap between worker productivity and worker gains," it continued.
Unlike Sanders' proposal to shorten the number of hours Americans work, the Sanger ISD would lengthen the hours in the other four school days, reduce the number of early dismissals and start the school year a week early.
Still, the district argues in its announcement that a shorter school week will "increase the effectiveness of our instruction and promote student success" while also boosting morale for students and teachers.
