Pueblo City Schools District 60 became one of the latest Colorado school districts to adopt a four-day school week for some of its schools when the academic year started in August.

But the shortened schedule is as much of a tradition at schools on the eastern plains of El Paso County as tractors meandering down the road, the wind and grazing cattle.

“It certainly has a rhythm,” said Calhan School District RJ-1 Superintendent David Slothower. “It’s deep in the culture. It fits the community.”

Of Colorado’s 178 public school districts, 104 have one or more schools on a four-day schedule, according to a recently updated map from the Colorado School Finance Project.

Some districts choose the format, while others, such as Pueblo’s D-60, are forced to change to save money.

Six of El Paso County’s 15 public school districts have four-day weeks, along with Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1 in Teller County. Some take Fridays off and others Mondays.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the four-day format in Peyton School District 23-JT, 11 miles outside of Calhan on U.S. 24.

Back in 1968, when district leaders switched from five days to four days of school, the reason then and now was to save money, said Superintendent Tim Kistler.

He estimates a present-day cost savings of 15 percent, primarily from lowered utility expenses and not running buses on Fridays.

“Our district loves our four-day week,” Kistler said. “There have been some small complaints, but most parents I talk to enjoy the fact that they have Fridays off to make doctor appointments and dentist appointments and not have to miss school.

In Miami-Yoder School District JT-60, Superintendent Dwight Barnes estimates cost savings of his district’s four-day week at $150,000 to $200,000 annually. That equates to a 20 percent savings, so “it works out pretty well for us,” he said.

Calhan, about 35 miles northeast of Colorado Springs, switched in the late 1970s or early 1980s, Slothower said. No one remembers exactly when.

Slothower, who’s worked in the district since 2000, has heard stories that the change was in response to the nation’s energy crisis.

“They could realize savings on operating costs by shutting the building down,” he said.

Today, the savings are minimal, he said. The district provides extra academic support on Mondays, when classes aren’t in session, with one or two teachers available for students who want tutoring.

Athletics also continue on Mondays, with practices and even some competitions, such as junior varsity football games or middle school volleyball matches.

Professional development or work days for teachers also are commonly scheduled on days off.

Many parents say their families have embraced the concept.

“They get more time in their classrooms, and I get more time with my kids,” says Cheyenne Thibou, who has four of her five children attending Edison 54-JT in Yoder.

Her brood doesn’t know any different. They’ve attended four-day schools their entire academic career, she said, adding that her high school-age daughter attends Pikes Peak Community College on Mondays, Edison’s day off, through a program that enables high school students to work on associate’s degrees at the same time as their diploma.

“We absolutely love the four-day weeks,” Thibou said.

Brittany Clark, who has students at the middle and high schools in Calhan, said it’s convenient to schedule medical and other appointments on Mondays, so they don’t miss class time.

“It’s better for the kids to have that three-day weekend,” she said. “They can rest, sleep in, get homework done.”

It also helps improve attendance and decrease truancy, said Paul Frank, superintendent of Edison 54-JT.

“Being so far out, you can’t just get to the dentist and get to school,” he said. “It can take a whole day.”

Parents also plan other activities on the day off, Frank added.

“They schedule their life around it – some do branding on those days, or have an extra hand in fence building or running cattle,” he said. “In a rural district, that’s a real benefit.”

Superintendents also mention that the four-day schedule helps with teacher recruitment and retention, an issue with Colorado’s teacher shortage.

“I’ve never received one complaint from a teacher about the four-day week,” Slothower said.

The advantages of a four-day school week seem to outweigh the disadvantages, although there are some downsides.

To meet state requirements for instructional time, schools extend the days and shorten the holiday breaks.

Peyton students, for the most part, attend school even on Monday holidays, Kistler said.

While the longer days give teachers more time with students and allow for more homework to be done immediately, being at school for eight hours or more a day can be tiring.

Without intentional planning, younger children can get antsy, and older children can feel bored.

Slothower said Calhan RJ-1 soon will start a new program: afternoon snack.

“We’re coordinating with the state to pilot a program to provide more food for increased energy and attention,” he said.

Frank said teachers in Edison 54-JT remind parents to continue to read and otherwise “be engaged” with their children over each three day weekend, so students can continue learning and not forget classroom instruction, another potential drawback.

Since many families do ranching or farming, child care doesn’t seem to be a problem because there’s often someone at home on days off, district leaders say.

“People who transfer here from outside of the area or from other states are often surprised,” Slothower said, “but it hasn’t proved to dissuade them from enrolling.”

Kistler said he can’t imagine Peyton 23-JT operating on a five-day-a-week calendar.

“The system is pretty ingrained within our district,” he said. “I don’t see it altering unless we get a huge growth situation and the culture of the district changes.”