Arlee's shorter school week works

ARLEE - Two years ago, Arlee wrestlers missed seven Fridays of

school in a row and in total 54 class periods because they were

traveling to sports events.

ARLEE - Two years ago, Arlee wrestlers missed seven Fridays of school in a row and in total 54 class periods because they were traveling to sports events.

"My wrestlers missed nine and a half days of school," head wrestling coach and science teacher Ken Hill said. "I was missing so many days of school."

With so many of Arlee's students involved in athletics, Fridays were an attendance apocalypse as the school resembled more of a ghost town.

"By noon on Friday, probably two-thirds of our student body was gone because of an athletic event or another appointment," Arlee athletic director Jim Taylor said.

Due to that, a lot of academic pressure was put on the kids as they had to do so much makeup work to keep up with their grades.

"There was a lot of extra work," Taylor said. "Some of those kids were in math classes chemistry classes that were heavy duty."

Something had to be done and starting in 2009, Arlee switched to a four-day school week, giving the kids a three-day weekend on a permanent basis.

"The old tradition was hard to change," Taylor said.

The school had three community sessions and had superintendents from Victor and Alberton come in to talk about how their schools had done with shortening the school week.

However, staying true to the "less is more" concept, Arlee lengthened their school day by 45 minutes and dropped Friday from their schedule.

"It's changed the whole concept," Hill said. "Everybody is more relaxed, they know they're going to have three days off."With the fall season wrapping up, plenty of students already understand the meaning of traveling to high school sporting events (read: a long ways away), but have been helped by the four-day school week.

"They're not as antsy on Monday," Hill said. "They grades have improved across the board."

The shorter school week also cut down on the mounds of makeup work students were having to do.

"It's a huge relief to them as students," Hill said.

In the past as many as thirty kids would have been academically ineligible, which not only means that they're hurting in their academics but the athletic team's numbers were down considerable, something very important at a Class C school.

Since then, that number has dropped to around 15 kids, which is roughly 10 percent of kids participating in athletics.

"The kids are doing better in classes," Taylor said. "Our honor roll is up, our attendance rates are up and we're not having the same discipline problems."

The shorter work week also helps teachers, who might also be coaches.

"In the science class it's hard to put a sub in that position," Hill said. "It goes by so fast now. We're accomplishing what we were accomplishing before with less time. The missing assignments are way down, the student discipline has dropped off the charts. Kids come to school and are more willing to learn."

Arlee has also been smart in scheduling their longer road trips when there's more free time available for the kids.

"We've really tried to stay away from long travel days on the weekdays," Taylor said. "All our long district trips are on Friday and Saturday. If they miss class time, it's just a period."

Hill said that last year, his wrestlers missed just one day and two class periods, a significant improvement.

However, Friday hasn't been completely abandoned either.

Arlee offers guided study on Friday, two teachers available to teach and several student activities for kids to participate in so it doesn't put parents in a bind if they're at work. The school also sends food home with kids for those who rely on school meals as a part of their diet.

All signs are pointing positive for the four-day school week.

"We can get kids right after school, get practice in and then get them home," Taylor said. "It helps bring out numbers up and it's nice to get the kids where we can help them and tutor."

Arlee didn't do this because of budget concerns but rather worries about student attendance.

"We didn't make it a budget issue," Taylor said. "Friday was a wasted day for us."

However, schools looking to save some money might also take a look at the four-day week with ever shrinking state budgets.

"I think with state funding, people are always looking for a way to survive and this is a way you can do it," Taylor said.

The Warriors and Scarlets are sure to do a lot of traveling this winter season, and regardless of their win-loss record, it's good to know that student-athletes are victorious in the classroom.