ELY — The Ely School District is exploring a move to a four-day school week, with Superintendent Anne Oelke presenting staff survey results to the school board Monday that showed 76 percent of respondents in favor of the change.
The proposal comes as the district faces significant financial pressures. Oelke told board members that a preliminary list of budget reductions currently stands at roughly $400,000, and switching to a four-day week could account for nearly half of that, an estimated $183,000 in annual savings from reduced transportation, utility, staffing, and substitute teacher costs alone.
“It’s hard to leave that much money on the table,” Oelke said.
The survey drew 63 responses from a staff of approximately 100, including teachers, support staff, bus drivers, custodians, and administrators across Washington Elementary and Memorial Middle/High School. Twenty percent of respondents indicated they were unsure about the change, with many citing questions about what the schedule would actually look like and how it would affect their pay and benefits.
Oelke described the overall tone of the feedback as “optimistic, thoughtful, and focused on student success.” Beyond cost savings, staff pointed to potential benefits including reduced burnout, improved attendance, fewer substitute days, and better staff recruitment and retention. The district has already seen neighboring schools move in this direction. Oelke said she has been in close contact with Districts 2142 and Northeast Range, both of which have made the switch and reported positive results.
“Their data is overwhelmingly positive,” Oelke said. “The vibe of the school is much more positive.”
Not everyone is convinced, however. Common concerns raised in the survey included student stamina during longer school days, maintaining academic rigor, and child care needs on the day off. Hourly staff expressed worry about potential reductions in hours and loss of insurance eligibility.
Oelke said she has already begun addressing the childcare question, meeting with representatives from Ely Community Resource, which she said is enthusiastic about offering Friday programming for families similar to the district’s existing afterschool Wolfpack care. United Way has also indicated willingness to expand its backpack buddies meal program to cover Fridays.
Under Minnesota law, any district moving to a four-day week must still meet 1,020 hours of annual instruction, meaning school days would be extended. Oelke said the district is still working through the scheduling math and plans to have detailed answers ready before any decisions are made.
The application to pursue a flexible learning schedule must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education by late April. Oelke stressed that no decision has been made and the board will not vote until April.
The next steps include sending a similar survey to families and community members this week, presenting addressed staff questions at the March 9 regular board meeting, and holding a community-focused discussion at the March 23 study session.
Athletics director Tom Coombe noted potential athletic benefits, pointing out that Thursday night road games would no longer cut into a school day and that spring sports could schedule games on Fridays without pulling students from class.
Oelke noted that some districts have tried the four-day week and later returned to five days once finances stabilized, while others like Superior have never looked back. She said the district is working on an application regardless so it is ready to move quickly if the board decides to proceed.
“We’re not making any decisions until April,” she said. “We just have to be very diligent, get questions answered, and be fiscally responsible.”