PENNSYLVANIA, USA — After more than 70 years, Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts have the flexibility to define its school years thanks to the passing of House Bill 1507, also known as act 56 of 2023, which amended section 1 of the public-school code 1949.
Although school district administrators now have the freedom to define schedules, union officials say it may take time to see change.
“They can choose to stick with the traditional standard of 180 instructional school days, or they can measure that by hours, 900 instructional hours for elementary school levels or 990 hours for the secondary school levels,” said Chris Lilienthal, Assistant Communications Director of Pennsylvania State Education Association.
Districts measuring by hours could schedule longer instructional days and create 4-day school weeks.
While the prospect of a shorter school week may sound appealing to some, Lilienthal says its important districts consider all variables.
“This isn’t something that can happen overnight, it doesn’t happen at the snap of a finger, it really does require a great deal of homework and a great deal of outreach to the community, and sitting down with teachers and support staff to make sure you come to a school schedule that works for everyone.”
School districts could also maintain traditional school weeks by extending instructional hours on some days and shortening them on others.
“Where PSEA would come in and where a local union would come in is when that change in schedule changes the employee workday and that could have any number of effects,” Lilienthal said.
Lilienthal expects PSEA to join discussions as districts begin planning next school year and believes it’s still too early to tell which districts will modify their schedules.
“There’s a variety of ways this could play out and I just think that we have to sit and wait and see how it does,” Lilienthal said.
More than 20 states in the United States have at least one school district that uses a 4-day school week.
Districts in Pennsylvania have already taken advantage of the new law.
Some schools modified their hours by releasing students from early to enjoy the Great American Eclipse in April.