28-03-2025
New bill could alter four-day school weeks for Arkansas schools
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A newly filed bill in the Arkansas legislature could impact schools in the Natural State currently operating under four-day school weeks.
House Bill 1864 was filed on March 19 and sponsored by Rep. Wade Andrews (R-Camden) and Sen. Jane English (R-North Little Rock).
The title of the bill is 'To amend provisions of the Arkansas Code to improve efficiency in student instruction; and to create a standardized flexible school calendar system for public schools.'
The bill would require school boards for public and charter schools to adopt a school calendar with a minimum of 178 on-site, in-person instruction days and 1,068 hours of instruction.
Under current state law, schools can submit a request for an alternative calendar and use 1,068 hours of instruction instead of 178 days.
126 schools in 47 districts in the state are operating on four-day school weeks for the 2024-25 school year, up from 90 in the 2023-24 school year.
Four districts in Northwest Arkansas — Greenland, Lincoln, Decatur and Huntsville — have adopted four-day school weeks in recent years.
If the bill were to become law, districts trying to keep a four-day school week while following the mandate would have classes in session for 44 weeks, making summer vacation much shorter.
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Starting with the 2026-27 school year, the first day of school for students would be on or after July 1, and the last day could not be after June 30 if the bill passed.
School calendars would have to include at least 30 make-up hours for snow days, in addition to the required days of instruction to be used if school is canceled due to exceptional circumstances, such as inclement weather.
KNWA/FOX24 spoke with Lincoln Schools in December 2023, following the district's first semester operating under a four-day school week. District leaders said at the time that students' overall attendance rate was up 81 percent from the same period in 2022 with the change.
The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee. It is on the committee's agenda for their April 1 meeting.
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