Griswold School Board Explores Four-Day School Week

Staff survey to gather feedback on potential schedule change

Mar. 28, 2026 at 11:05am

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The Griswold School Board in Iowa is considering implementing a four-day school week and has launched a staff survey to gather feedback on the proposal. The board previously explored the idea in 2023 but decided not to pursue it for the 2024-2025 school year. Now, a committee is reviewing the survey results, which will be discussed at the board's April meeting. If the district decides to move forward, the four-day week would not be implemented until the 2026-2027 school year.

Why it matters

The four-day school week is a growing trend in some rural and small-town school districts as a way to address budget constraints and teacher shortages. Griswold's exploration of this model reflects broader discussions happening in communities across the Midwest about balancing educational needs with resource limitations.

The details

The Griswold School Board formed a committee of three board members and the board secretary to develop a staff survey on the four-day school week proposal. The survey will be administered to all district employees in early April, and the results will be reviewed at the board's meeting later that month. Superintendent Dave Henrichs says that if the district decides to move forward with the four-day week, it would not be implemented until the 2026-2027 school year, giving the community time to prepare for the change.

  • In August 2023, the Griswold School Board decided not to pursue the four-day school week for the 2024-2025 school year.
  • The staff survey will be administered in early April 2026.
  • The Griswold School Board will review the survey results at their April 2026 meeting.

The players

Dave Henrichs

The superintendent of the Griswold School District, who is overseeing the exploration of the four-day school week proposal.

Griswold School Board

The governing body of the Griswold School District, which is considering implementing a four-day school week.

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What they’re saying

“Either way, Henrichs says that if the district decides to move forward with the four-day school week, the Griswold School District would not implement the change for the 2026-2027 school year.”

— Dave Henrichs, Superintendent

What’s next

The Griswold School Board will review the staff survey results at their April 2026 meeting and decide whether to move forward with the four-day school week proposal for the 2026-2027 school year.

The takeaway

Griswold's exploration of the four-day school week reflects the difficult decisions rural and small-town school districts are facing as they balance educational needs with budget and staffing constraints. The staff survey will be a crucial step in gathering feedback and building community support for any potential schedule change.