NM school district implements 4-day week as state considers education cuts

Starting next year, students at the Cobre Consolidated School District will attend school four days a week instead of five.

The decision came down after years of planning, public opinion and board approval.

The district, located near Silver City, includes six schools and encompasses about 1,300 students.

If the the proposed state budget is approved, Cobre would face a seven percent cut in funding, which Superintendent Robert Mendoza said equates to more than $500,000.

‘We are not anticipating a loss of jobs. We are anticipating a hiring freeze, but maintaining the staff that we have,” said Mendoza, “The positives: here in New Mexico, there is a teacher shortage. By going to a four day calendar, we are going to be an employer of choice.”

Teachers would also get the fifth day off, district officials said. An extra 45 minutes would be added to the regular 8-hour school day.

By implementing a four day school week, the district would reduce the cuts by nearly half, saving the district nearly $225,000.

“We have to think outside the box, and when you cut down one day, that is 20 percent reduction in your transportation cost,” Mendoza added.

Mendoza said the approval of the change in scheduling was unanimous: 99 percent teacher approval, 98 percent student body approval, and 95 percent parental approval.

Las Cruces Public Schools Spokeswoman Jo Galvan told ABC-7 the district would only consider this move if more cuts are implemented.

Galvan is not convinced the change is logistically possible in Las Cruces. “Cobre is a school district the size of one of our schools,” Galvan said, “There are so many schedules we have to appease. What do you do with children on the fifth day? That is a lot of kids who are not in school for one day of the week.”