Kootenai School District in Idaho Adopts Four-Day School Week, Citing Teacher Workload and Student Attendance
Kootenai District Becomes Latest in Idaho to Shift to Shorter School Week
KOOTENAI, Idaho — The Kootenai School District, a small rural district situated on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene, has become the latest Idaho school district to adopt a four-day school week, joining roughly 95 other districts and charter schools statewide already operating on the condensed schedule. Unlike many of those districts, however, Kootenai’s decision was not driven by budget pressures or teacher recruitment challenges — but rather by a desire to address classroom time lost to extracurricular activities and to give teachers more time to manage their professional responsibilities.
The district’s board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the schedule change, following public comment that revealed divided opinions among Kootenai families. Superintendent Brad Baumberger, who took over leadership of the district last June, said the new calendar will give teachers additional time on their off day for paperwork, lesson planning, and grading — tasks that currently cannot be completed during standard daily planning periods.
“We’ve got all these things going on and they all interfere with class time,” Baumberger said, referencing sports, college visits, tours of local manufacturing facilities, and other extracurricular commitments that routinely pull students out of class for most of a school day.
Remote Location, Attendance Rules Drive the Decision
At the heart of the issue is Kootenai’s geographic isolation. The district serves approximately 215 students, and its rural location means that any off-campus activity — from a sporting event to a career exploration trip — typically consumes an entire school day due to travel time. Under the current five-day schedule, those absences count against the district’s average daily attendance figures, which directly impact state funding allocations.
“You can’t do any of that stuff because if you do, we get nailed for our kids being absent,” Baumberger said. “We load up one bus half full, we lose 30% of our high schoolers.”
By moving extracurricular and enrichment activities to Fridays — the newly designated off day — the district aims to preserve instructional time Monday through Thursday while allowing students to participate in sports, college visits, and career-focused learning without triggering attendance penalties. Baumberger said he began exploring the four-day model shortly after he was hired, then brought the proposal to a newly elected group of trustees earlier this year.
Teachers were vocal supporters of the change, arguing that their current daily planning periods are insufficient to handle the full scope of required job duties. Many educators said it is simply not possible to complete grading, communication with families, and lesson preparation within the time currently allotted.
Parents Raise Concerns Over Childcare, Process Transparency
Not all community members were enthusiastic. During public comment, several parents raised concerns about what their children would do on Fridays without school in session, particularly given the limited availability of local childcare options in the rural area. Others expressed frustration over what they described as a rushed process — the district first posted the proposed four-day schedule just four days before the board’s vote, leaving some families feeling they had insufficient time to review and respond to the proposal.
Despite those objections, trustees moved forward with a unanimous vote in favor of the change.
Kootenai’s adoption of the four-day week reflects a broader trend playing out across Idaho’s smaller and more rural school districts, where staffing challenges, limited resources, and geographic realities make conventional scheduling difficult to sustain. Families across North Idaho and the Panhandle region continue to navigate shifting educational models as districts seek to balance student outcomes with the practical constraints of rural school operations.
For context on school governance decisions elsewhere in the region, the Lake Pend Oreille School District board recently elected Rachelle Hutchens as Zone 2 trustee, reflecting ongoing leadership changes in Bonner County’s largest school district. Infrastructure investment also continues locally, with construction underway on a new Valley View Elementary school.
What Comes Next
The Kootenai School District has not yet announced the specific start date for the new four-day schedule or which academic year the change will take effect. District officials are expected to communicate implementation details, including any plans to address community concerns about childcare and student supervision on Fridays, in the weeks ahead. Parents and community members seeking more information are encouraged to contact the district directly.