A CCSD school adopted a 4-day work week. Teachers love it

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — This marks the second week that Clark County School District students are back in the classroom from summer break. But there’s one school in the district trying something different.

Sandy Valley School operates on a four-day work week and it has seen the impacts — mostly when it comes to recruiting teachers.

“A lot of teachers who work a five-day week, they have to get everything done on a Saturday and/or a Sunday, and they don’t get that extra day to plan to do their household, to spend time with their family,” Kristin Wolf, a teacher at Sandy Valley, said.

The school currently has two openings for teachers who retired, according to CCSD data.

Wolf teaches at Sandy Valley’s K-12 school. She retired after 25 years in May but returned to Sandy Valley after they needed a math teacher. The four-day workweek was the x-factor.

“I feel it’s restful, so I tried to get everything done on a Friday, so on Saturday I have a day to relax,” Wolf said.

Sandy Valley School’s principal Mohammad Hadavi says nearly all his licensed staff and administrators commute from the Las Vegas area.

“When it comes to recruiting staff and trying to bring the highest quality staff out here, that’s probably the biggest selling point that I have,” Hadavi said.

Several national studies have shown a large percentage of employees would prefer a four-day workweek if given an option. Those who do have it report feeling more engaged at work.

“I think that the four-day workweek on a more weekly basis provides a quick recharge,” Hadavi said.

Hadavi does acknowledge there are downsides. School days are longer, and a student can fall far behind if they’re absent.

“When they miss, they miss more than a day of school on paper and that’s something we want to minimize,” Hadavi said.

He says he has no intentions of scrapping the four-day workweek, as the pros outweigh the cons. They’ve had that system for at least the last five years.

Out of CCSD’s 373 schools, four operate on a four-day workweek. Besides Sandy Valley, the schedule is used at Goodsprings Elementary, Spring Mountain Junior/Senior High,  and High Desert State Prison Adult High School.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.