Two students pitch four-day school week to MSAD 51 board, propose childcare and scheduling solutions

Two Cumberland students, Alex Johnson and Hunter Rentra, presented a plan to the MSAD 51 board on March 5 urging consideration of a four-day school week that would give students Mondays off while lengthening each weekday to meet required instructional hours.

Hunter and Alex said the district could meet state-required contact hours without changing the school year by lengthening daily minutes (they estimated up to 1 hour 36 minutes per day in one scenario) and noted 6.73% of U.S. districts have adopted 4-day weeks, a statistic they attributed to district compilations. They cited research from Lamar University and examples from other districts that reported savings, better recruitment and improved attendance after switching to a four-day schedule.

The students acknowledged logistical challenges, including childcare for younger students and impacts on after-school activities. They suggested the district could run supervised care in district facilities (hiring high-school students or recent grads) and adopt scheduling rules so games and athletics occur after school hours to preserve participation.

Board members praised the presentation and encouraged the students to submit their materials in writing. The superintendent welcomed their input and said he had received their email. No action or referral was taken at the March 5 meeting.