Schools in the MACCRAY School District in west-central Minnesota can hang a new tile on their doors come fall: Closed Mondays.

Though the plan still needs approval from the state Department of Education, the community has largely supported it, and districts in other states cite educational benefits in concentrated instruction time and fewer absences. Administrators allow that some parents, especially of younger children, are worried about increased child care costs, but note that four longer school days will partially offset the one-day increase.

"The four-day week saves [the district] money," said school board Chairman Randy Janssen. "If we don't do it, we will have to cut more programs or staff."

Education Department spokesman Randy Wanke said in a statement that the department had never had a district request to move to a four-day week, but that Commissioner Alice Seagren would evaluate the proposal's legality.

A similar proposal was rejected in the Osseo District in 2002. Some school boards are expressing renewed interest this year, with declining enrollment and accompanying budget concerns, said Charlie Kyte, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.

Kyte was careful to say he does not oppose alternative schedules, but cautioned that any district that makes such radical change should be prepared to work to have parents and staff buy in, and to make sure that the extra hour each day is productive.

Overall, reaction from parents in the 700-student MACCRAY District has been more positive than negative, Superintendent Greg Schmidt said.

Janssen said the handful of letters and e-mails he received were about two-thirds in favor of the plan.

"Some say, let's not continue to cut programs," Schmidt said. "They want to have electives for their kids, especially high school kids. If we don't do this, that's $65,000 we have to get somewhere else."

MACCRAY administrators expect about $65,000 in transportation savings. And depending on next year's fuel costs, they could save as much as $20,000 in utility costs, with three buildings shuttered one more day a week.

Students' total in-school hours aren't expected to change; they'll simply add an hour a day Tuesday through Friday. When you factor in lunch periods, Monday holidays and staff development time, students actually will be in school an additional 2.5 instruction hours next year.

A similar proposal was presented to the school board in 2005, Schmidt said, but it was unsuccessful.

The change amounts to less than 1 percent savings in the district's $7 million budget, but Schmidt noted that the transportation savings alone meant preserving one position plus benefits.

MACCRAY cut $800,000 from its budget last year; there are no probationary teachers and the least senior staff members have 15 years seniority.

'Education improves'

MACCRAY High School Principal Gary Sims grew up in Custer, S.D., where schools have run on a four-day week since 1995. He brought up the proposal last time around and agreed to share his findings when parents raised the idea again this year. The research he's done has shown benefits in other districts.

"You ask the parents to make the appointments for the doctors and the dentists on the day you're not having school, and you ask the faculty to do the same thing," he said. "If you have faculty that don't miss and kids that don't miss, the education improves."

An alternative schedule has worked well, Custer schools Superintendent Tim Creal said. At Custer, test scores have stayed stable or gone up, and attendance has improved.

"I don't think there's any interest in even considering going back to the previous schedule," he said Tuesday.

While parents of young children were initially concerned about child care issues, he said, the local YMCA took up the challenge of offering baby-sitting courses for older kids and activities for younger kids, while parents formed baby-sitting co-ops to pick up the slack.

At MACCRAY, there's a proposal for the community education program to train high school students, who could use baby-sitting to fulfill a service learning requirement.

MACCRAY junior Emily Van Klompenburg, of rural Maynard, said that she probably will be called upon to hang out with her 11-year-old sister but that she likes the idea of more time to help out on the family's farm or for study time that is often sacrificed to extracurriculars.

Kelly Van Klompenburg, mom to Emily and two others, said she also is in favor of the proposal.

"I like the idea of not having to cut programs at the school," she said, adding that she can see her children using the extra time to take online college courses. "If they can avoid [cutting programs], then that is an ideal way to go. Maria Elena Baca • 612-673-4409