>> ERIC: TWO NEW MINNESOTA SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE TRYING OUT FOUR-DAY SCHOOL SCHEDULES THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME.

ELY AND CLINTON-GRACEVILLE-BEARDSLEY JOIN A DOZEN OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE CLASS FOUR DAYS A WEEK INSTEAD OF FIVE.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE WENT TO ONE DISTRICT THAT’S BEEN ON THIS SCHEDULE FOR YEARS AND WHY IT WORKS FOR THEM.

>> HERE WE GO, DEFENSE, 1, 2, 3.

3.

DEFENSE.

>> Kaomi: 18-YEAR-OLD AUSTIN IS A DEFENSIVE LINEMAN ON OWINGLY HAVE I'S HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM.

BESIDES BEING A NINE-MAN TEAM, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE DIFFERENT.

HIS SCHOOL ONLY HAS CLASSES FEWER DAYS A WEEK AND IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT 18 YEARS.

THEY HAVE CLASS TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

HE STARTS HIS DAY AT 7:40 AND ENDS AT 3:40.

MONDAYS ARE OFF.

>> I KNOW THAT IT'S LONGER THAN OTHER SCHOOLS, BUT IT FEELS -- I MEAN, IT'S BEEN NORMAL TO ME, I'VE GONE HERE MY WHOLE LIFE, BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL EXCESSIVELY LONGER EVEN THOUGH WE GO MAYBE AN HOUR LONGER.

>> HAVING MONDAYS OFF MEANS FLEXIBILITY FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS OR PART-TIME JOBS.

FOOTBALL PRACTICES CAN START IN THE MORNING AND END MIDDAY.

THE SENIORS ALSO TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES.

HE SAYS ACADEMIC UPSIDES TOO.

>> HAVING A SHORTER WEEK, KIDS TEND TO GET BURNED OUT LESS.

I THINK THAT OUR TEACHERS DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB COVERING THE MATERIAL AND I THINK WE'RE LEARNING JUST AS WELL AS ALL THE SCHOOLS AROUND US.

>> Kaomi: OGILVIE STARTED A FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL SAVINGS.

THE SAVINGS AMOUNT TO $300,000 A YEAR.

SUPERINTENDENT KEVIN RICKY WAS NOT AT OGILVIE AT THE TIME OF THE CHANGE BUT HE SAYS IT NOW WOULD BE HARD TO GO.

>> ON APPROXIMATELY AN $8 MILLION BUDGET, JUST BY HAVING 24 LESS DAYS, THAT'S 24 DAYS YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RUN THE SCHOOL BUSES, THAT'S 24 DAYS YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY GROCERIES, THAT'S 24 DAYS TO DO FOOD SERVICE.

>> Kaomi: WITH FOOD AND GAS PRICES AT ALL-TIME HIGHS, THAT'S MEANING.

AND HE SAYS OGILVIE STUDENTS ARE IN THE CLASSROOM JUST AS LONG AS THEIR FIVE-DAY PEERS.

>> WE STILL DO THE SAME NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS, BUT WE DO IT ON LESS DAYS.

YES, OUR DAY STARTS A ITTLE BIT EARLIER, AND FINISHES A LITTLE BIT LATER, TO MEET THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS.

>> Kaomi: RICKY SAYS NEARLY ALL THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS ARE SET UP ON PAID HOURS, NOT DAYS.

AND HE SAYS STAFF, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS LIKE THE FLEXIBILITY.

IN A RECENT SURVEY, ABOUT 80% SAID THEY WANTED THE FOUR-DAY WEEKS TO CONTINUE.

>> I AM THE TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR, I'M ALSO ONE OF THE TESTING ADMINISTRATORS AND THE YEARBOOK ADVISOR.

>> Kaomi: COLEMAN IS A MOM OF FOUR, AGE 24 TO 14.

THE DISTRICT WAS SMALL WHEN THE DISTRICT CONVERTED AND THERE WERE MIXED FEELINGS AT THE TIME.

>> PROBABLY AGAINST MAYBE THE LONGER SCHOOL DAY FOR THE YOUNGER CHILDREN.

AND AT THE TIME I HAD YOUNGER KIDS.

BUT I FELT IT WAS STILL WORTH IT TO HAVE THAT EXTRA FAMILY TIME ON THE WEEKEND AND TO GET IN THEIR APPOINTMENTS ON MONDAYS AND TO NOT TO MISS SCHOOL FOR THAT.

>> Kaomi: AS A TEACH EVERY -- TEACHER, SHE WAS HOME WITH HER KIDS ON MONDAYS.

NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WERE AVAILABLE TO PITCH IN.

OGILVIE WORKS WITH LOCAL FOOD SHELVES TO SEND HOME BACKPACKS OF FOOD FOR FAMILIES IN NEED.

COLEMAN SAYS MANY PARENTS FOUND THEY SAVED MONEY OVERALL.

>> NORMALLY ON A HORTER SCHOOL DAY THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE THEIR KID GO TO DAY CARE AFTER SCHOOL.

HAVING THE LONGER DAY TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, ELIMINATED THAT FOR A LOFT PARENTS.

>> Kaomi: SAVINGS, YES, BUT WHAT ABOUT EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES?

OGILVIE'S MINNESOTA REPORT CARD IN 2025 SHOWED A 92% GRADUATION RATE, BUT TESTS RESULTS WERE MIXED.

PARENT CARL BOUDREAU PULLED HIS TEEN DAUGHTER OUT OF THE DISTRICT TWO YEARS AGO.

>> IF 60% OF THE CHILDREN ARE STRUGGLING WITH MATH AND READING, BUT, YET, 96% OF THEM ARE GETTING GRADUATED, OW IS THAT?

BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM LIKE THE NUMBERS ADD UP.

>> Kaomi: THE DISTRICT SAYS THAT THE REPORT CARD IS A SNAPSHOT AND DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR STUDENTS WHO DON'T PERFORM WELL ON TESTS.

THE STATE'S TEACHER UNION SAYS WHETHER A DISTRICT GOES TO A FOUR-DAY WEEK IS A LOCAL DECISION.

>> THERE'S REALLY NO RESEARCH TO SUPPORT THAT THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT BETTER OR A LITTLE BIT WORSE.

IT'S JUST WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH RESEARCH YET ON THE IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING.

>> Kaomi: BUT THE FOUR-DAY WEEK MAY BENEFIT RURAL DISTRICTS WITH A OW TAX BASE.

TEACHER SALARIES IN OGILVIE ARE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE STATE.

306 OUT OF 330 DISTRICTS.

AN EXTRA FREE DAY ALLOWS THEM TO SUBSTITUTE TEACH IN OTHER DISTRICTS.

>> USUALLY FOR 40-WEEK APPLICATIONS, IT'S COST EFFECTIVENESS.

SO THE DISTRICT IS PROPOSING A PLAN WHERE TRANSITION TO GO A FOUR-DAY WEEK WILL SAVE THEM MONEY AND USUALLY IT'S TO IMPROVE INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY.

>> Kaomi: LEADER IS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR AT THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

SHE SAYS THERE'S CURRENTLY 14 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE ON A DISTRICTWIDE FOUR-DAY WEEK SCHEDULE.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ISN'T THE MAIN CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.

PLANS FOR DISTRIBUTING FOOD, DAY CARE OPTIONS, AND PRIOR OUTCOMES ARE ALSO CONSIDERED.

MORE DISTRICTS HAVE APPLIED EACH YEAR.

>> IT'S NOT A LOT, JUST FIVE YEARS AGO WE ONLY HAD LESS -- WE ONLY HAD HALF OF THE DISTRICTS WE HAVE NOW.

>> Kaomi: HER SAYS OGILVIE'S TRACK RECORD WAS A IG REASON MDE RENEWED ITS APPLICATION.

THIS PARENT DRIVES FROM NEARBY MORA, SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T MIND A LONGER DAY FOR HER 6-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.

>> THE DAYS ARE LONGER, EIGHT-HOUR SCHOOL DAY, THEY GET THE THREE DAYS