UPDATE (4/29)
A four-day school week pilot program is coming to Palo Verde Magnet High School after approval from the Tucson Unified School District governing board.
The school board approved the pilot plan by a vote of 5-0.
During the meeting, the Payroll Manager for TUSD expressed their concerns regarding how rushed this feels. "We are being asked to move forward after just weeks. That timeline is not just aggressive, it's irresponsible. With a full year to prepare by testing systems, building processes, creating documentation, this pilot program has a strong chance of success."
Despite their concerns, the pilot program will be starting for the next upcoming school year.
Tucson Unified School District Chief Financial Officer Ricky Hernández put together a financial review presentation for the meeting.
One section described payroll processing for teachers. It said teachers would still be paid their full salaries, but they’d need to make up a few extra hours each week to meet their contracts. School leaders would then decide how to schedule those extra hours, which could include time on Fridays.
Non-teaching salaried staff would still be paid based on a standard 40-hour workweek, but under the proposed schedule, they’d come up about six hours short. To make up that time, staff would likely need to work about six hours on Fridays, with school leaders deciding how those schedules are set.
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A high school on the Eastside is considering a schedule change that would be a first for the district: a four-day school week.
Palo Verde Magnet High School principal presented the idea during a TUSD governing board meeting on April 14.
Now, the proposal is set for a vote Tuesday night, with board members considering a resolution that would move the school to a four-day week starting in the 2026-27 school year.
A survey was sent to parents, students and staff asking for feedback on the proposal. At the April 14 meeting, district officials shared results from parents who were asked if they support a four-day school week for their students. Out of 186 responses, 124 strongly agreed, 38 agreed and nine were neutral.
Jim Byrne, president of the Tucson Education Association, said teachers have been part of the conversation while the idea has been discussed.
“These are difficult times and we need to be considering creative alternative ideas and testing them and piloting them," Byrne explains.
Details still need to be worked out, including contract changes for staff.
“We'll have to come up with a separate agreement, but we're also working out what that agreement would have to see in it. So, you know, if the staff there are like, yeah, we're on board, we get that our days would be longer," Byrne explains, "so it'd be kind of like an appendix or an addendum.”
Under the proposal, class periods would be extended by five minutes. Students could still come to school on Fridays for extra help, credit recovery or to take care of appointments and family needs. School leaders say the goal is to address declining enrollment and improve teacher retention.
For more on how families are reacting to the proposal, read our previous coverage.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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