It’s no secret that Idaho’s rural schools have been neglected for too long, and it’s time to give them their fair share so all Idaho students have the opportunity to prosper. Though House Bill 521 (“The School Facilities Bill”) is a step in the right direction, there are some serious problems.

Needlessly and suddenly, HB521 may require school districts to abandon the four-day week, even though HALF of Idaho’s districts use a four-day week. This change could have unintended and immediate consequences including budget shortfalls, emergency levies, staff loss, and chaos for our rural districts and their communities.

Get the facts about Idaho’s Four-Day Week:

Here’s the truth about the 90+ districts across Idaho using the four-day week.

  1. Four-day weeks work for the bottom line and have generated enormous savings for local districts and taxpayers.

  2. A majority of Idaho’s highest-performing schools use four-day weeks, according to reading readiness data. 

  3. Four-day weeks are a resourceful, fiscally-responsible LOCAL solution that are working for students, families and districts across the state.

Some Senate bills introduced last week could provide some needed fixes for HB521 and protect local control over 4-day options, but your lawmaker needs to hear from you.

Send an urgent message in just seconds:

We need you to take urgent action, and compose a note to your representative NOW: urge them to support Senate Bill 1439 and protect local schools and local control. Take a few moments to customize this message and share YOUR LOCAL STORY about the needs of YOUR LOCAL SCHOOLS: