BY VIRGINIA PENIAS
We’ve all dreamt about it, but never thought it would actually happen (Most of us didn’t even think it existed). Four-day school weeks seem too good to be true, but they are slowly sweeping the nation. In Broward County, Pompano Beach High School is currently on a four-day schedule with students attending school Monday –Thursday. The idea of having a three-day weekend sounds surreal, but I’m sure I speak for every high-school student when I say having a three-day weekend would be marvelous.
Waking up early five times a week is not an easy thing to do. Students that attend Cooper City High School have to be sitting at their desk by the time the 7:30 bell rings each morning in order to be on time. This means being awake before the sun comes up. For students that take the bus and who live in different cities like Hollywood and Pembroke Pines, this can mean waking up as early as two hours before school starts. Not only is waking up early a hassle, but it also prevents kids from getting the required amount of sleep needed each night. With homework, clubs, and sports, some students don’t get to bed until around midnight, leaving them with about six or less hours to sleep.
A three day weekend would also give students an extra day to do homework and study. Nowadays, excellent grades are crucial if a student plans on getting into a good college. With an extra day to study for that AP psych test or that trigonometry test, student’s grades could improve drastically. Along with having extra time to themselves, students would also be able to interact with other students their age. In this day in age, going outside and being involved with other people is important since the only way that kids know how to communicate is by phone or social networks online. Physical interaction is lacking and very much needed in today’s society.
Everyone knows that the economy is currently suffering. Because of financial issues, schools have done everything in their power to save money. As of right now, the school week is five days long. Every day, schools provide busses to and from school for students who need transportation. Therefore, drivers and gas have to be paid for. Breakfast and lunch are also provided at school for students who don’t bring lunch and don’t eat breakfast at home. With one less day to feed students, the government, school board, and school would save a lot of money. Electricity would also be a big money saver if it only had to be used four days a week. Overall, schools would be saving a lot of money by cutting down the week to four days.
In today’s world, the competition to get into a good college is fierce, and everybody needs to be a part of the competition. GPA (grade point average) are three very important letters well known to all high school students. The bar has been raised by colleges and institutions making it more difficult to be accepted into these schools. In order to meet the growing criteria, online classes can provide the opportunity to earn credits not yet achieved in high school. Most students would probably be grateful if they had an extra day during the week to dedicate to taking online courses or even dual enrolling at local colleges.
From saving money, to allowing students time to relax and catch up on work, to spending their weekend productively, having a three-day weekend and a four-day school week would benefit the student body in undeniable ways.
