Wilson Creek School District to implement four-day week

WILSON CREEK — The Wilson Creek School District will hold classes four days per week for the 2024-25 school year. Students will attend classes Monday through Thursday, with the school day beginning a few minutes earlier and ending a few minutes later.  

Wilson Creek Superintendent Laura Christian said part of the reason for the change is the need to do more with less. It’s also an incentive for teachers and other staff to come to work in Wilson Creek — and to stay in the school district.  

“This is one way we can cut back on our costs and still give our kids the education they need and deserve,” Christian said 

The district’s enrollment was higher before the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.  

“We’re starting to gain a little back at a time,” Christian said, but enrollment has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. 

Classes will be Monday-Thursday except on weeks with a Monday holiday when children will attend school Tuesday through Friday.  

“We will be consistent with the four-day week,” Christan said.  

While students will be out of school every Friday, teachers will have a half-day of continuing education one Friday each month.  

Under Washington law, school districts must offer classes a minimum of 180 days per school year, according to information from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. An “economy and efficiency waiver” allows a district to cut the number of instructional days, but districts must meet a minimum number of hours of instruction.  

As a K-12 school Wilson Creek must offer classes for a minimum of 1,027 hours, which Christian said will fit within the four-day week. The school year will start and end about the same time it would with a five-day week, she said. 

According to OSPI, districts with fewer than 1,000 students can apply for the economy and efficiency waiver. A waiver can be granted for up to three years. 

Declining enrollment has been a trend in Washington and nationwide, and Wilson Creek is no exception. Even with declining enrollment Wilson Creek is in relatively good financial condition, Christian said. 

“So far we’ve escaped most of that,” she said, “in large part because our business manager is very cautious and watches the bottom line. We're gaining a lot of ground to being sustainable.” 

Wilson Creek takes out-of-district transfers and administrators and teachers are always looking for class offerings that will attract and retain students without compromising basic instruction, she said.  

Wilson Creek was not forced to cut any teaching positions, Christian said. Two aides left their jobs, and one has not been replaced.  

Christian said the ultimate makeup of the staff will depend on the number of children in school, something district officials won’t know until school actually starts. It also depends on the needs of the children in school. 

“At the end of the day, if we’re not doing what’s best for students, we might as well shut the doors,” Christian said.