The Four-Day School Week Resource Center
Resources to educate teachers, parents, and students regarding the four-day school week.
Interested in the Four-Day School week?
We're glad you're here! This site is a helpful resource designed to educate and share all topics regarding the four-day school week.
Frequently Asked Question Regarding Missouri Senate Bill 727
Beginning July 1, 2026, "any district located wholly or partially in a charter county or in a city with 30,000 or more population must have:
1,044 hours AND 169 days, or
A 4-day school week approved by voters with at least 142 days.
A financial incentive will be paid to any district that offers a least 169 instructional days.
For the text of the full language of SB727 see https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=244
Commonly Searched Resources
Map of Missouri Four-Day School Week Districts (Link) Updated for 2024-2025
(New adoptions for 2024-2025 shown in RED)
Estimated 178 Missouri public (non-charter) schools using
4-day school week for 2024-2025
DESE Historial List of Missouri Four-Day Week Schools Update for 2023-2024 (168 school districts)*
*Due to incomplete data and lack of a definition of "4 day week"--the DESE list and our list differ on the list of schools using a 4 day week calendar--consider both lists a "guestimate." Some school districts have chosen to no longer identify as 4 day week districts, although they are on 4 day weeks most weeks. In addition, some schools listed on the historic DESE list as being on the 4 day week were never on the 4 day week (like Union Star and and Gilman City). The research team at Missouri State University continues to define the 4 day week as districts that are on a 4 day school week at least 75% of the school year. To our knowledge, only two districts (Lexington in 2014 and Lutie in 2023) were on the 4 day week and returned to a traditional 5 day week. One district, Stet R-XV, that was on the 4 day week was closed when consolidated into another school district.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Research Study
"The Impact of the Four-Day School Week on Academic Achievement and Building Growth" (Links bel0w)
from the January 9, 2024 state board meeting. Completed by Amanda Weissman from SAS EVAAS for DESE. PowerPoint presentation link. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/study-impact-four-day-school-week-academic-achievement-and-building-growth-january-2024
Link to video of this research presentation made from February 6, 2024 Missouri State Board of Education Meeting---research presentation begins at time maker 1:06:18 https://vimeo.com/901199328?share=copy
Executive Summary of Report found here https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/evaas-four-day-school-week-brief
Full Final Report document can be found here. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/evaas-four-day-week-technical-report
"The Popularity of 4-Day School Weeks, in Charts" from EducationWeek, January 23, 2024 by Caitlynn Peetz.
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/the-popularity-of-4-day-school-weeks-in-charts/2024/01
University of Oregon's HEDCO Institute Searchable Database of Four-Day School Week Studies
https://hedcoinstitute.uoregon.edu/reports/four-day-school-week-research-database
Research From Missouri State University
Turner, J., & Uribe-Zarain, X. (2024). The Impact of a 4-Day School Week on Teacher Recruitment: A Case Study of a Large Urban School District. PRiME Center. St. Louis University. https://www.primecenter.org/education-reports-database/4dsw-case-study
Turner, J. Finch, K., & Uribe-Zarain, X. (2019). Three Midwest Rural School Districts’ First Year Transition to the Four Day School Week: Parents’ Perspectives. The Rural Educator (The Journal of the National Rural Education Association), 40(1). https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1066&context=ruraleducator (Download PDF)
Turner, J., Finch, K., & Uribe-Zarain, X. (2018). The Economics of a Four-Day School Week: Community and Business Leaders’ Perspectives. Applied Economics and Finance, 5(2), 168-174. http://redfame.com/journal/index.php/aef/article/view/2947 (Download PDF)
Turner, J., Finch, K., & Ximena, U. (2017). Staff Perspectives of the Four-Day School Week: A New Analysis of Compressed School Schedules. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(1), 52-62. http://redfame.com/journal/index.php/jets/article/view/2769 (Download PDF)
Discussions with Researchers of the Four-Day School Week
We're always interested in bringing together the leading researchers on the four-day school week with school leaders in four-day school week districts. Here are some of our interviews with researchers investigating the four-day school week in the United States.
Interview with Dr. Paul Thompson
This interview features Dr. Paul Thompson, Oregon State University---Four-Day Week Impact on Academics with Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith of Warren County Schools, Dr. Mike Henry of Marshfield Schools, and Dr. Jon Turner from Missouri State University. November 29, 2023.
Interview with Dr. Emily Morton
This interview features Dr. Emily Morton, American Institute of Research--Four-Day Week Research Summary with Dr. Sarah Wisdom of New Bloomfield Schools, Dr. Sandy Stegall of Clinton County Schools, and Dr. Jon Turner from Missouri State University. November 2, 2023.
Interview with Dr. Emily Tomayko
This interview features Dr. Emily Tomayko from Montana State University--The Health Impacts of the Four-day School Week. With Dr. Allison Murphy-Pope from Hurley Schools, Dr. Dustin Storm from Miller Schools, and Dr. Jon Turner from Missouri State University. December 7, 2023.
Questions or Need Additional Resources?
Contact Dr. Jon Turner
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Missouri State University
JonSTurner@MissouriState.edu