Crosby ISD becomes largest school district in Texas to adopt a 4-day instructional week

CROSBY, Texas (KTRK) -- Crosby ISD has become the largest school district in Texas to adopt a four-day school week, according to school officials.

On Monday, the Crosby ISD Board of Trustees approved the 2023-2024 academic calendar that shifts from a five-day instruction week to four.

How it works: Fridays will be considered student holidays from September to mid-April, and each school day will have an extra 20-25 minutes added to instructional time, the district says.

The district estimated at least 43 districts in Texas are on a four-day school week, and several more districts are considering the move.

"Our why is simple and straightforward. We want to find, recruit, and retain the best teachers in the state in the classrooms for our students," Crosby ISD Superintendent Paula Patterson said. "This change immediately makes Crosby ISD a top destination for educators in Harris County. Our move will attract even more exceptional teachers for our students, leading to high-quality academic outcomes. We also believe this move will increase our recruitment of bus drivers, who are vital in getting our students to and from school safely and on time."

For the district, it said the shortened week would be a recruiting tool. Crosby ISD had 40 teacher vacancies at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. Usually, the district would have about a dozen openings.

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Could the school week get shorter in Crosby ISD? The district plans to go over that very idea with parents.

Parents in favor and against the move were in attendance during the vote. For many, the idea of having to provide an extra day of childcare is a major issue.

Other parents worry about test scores going down. But other parents and teachers say the shorter week means more rest and a break from long commutes.

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Most of the districts in the state that have made the move are small and rural.

Experts say that's because those districts struggle the most with recruiting teachers and paying for staff.

Trustees at Houston ISD, the state's largest school district, are not considering moving to a four-day school week.

The academic year for Crosby ISD will begin on Aug. 7, 2023, with the four-day instructional period starting in September.