MACCRAY school district plans for 4-day week to save money

REDWOOD FALLS, Minn. (AP) _ The MACCRAY school district in west-central Minnesota is poised to go to a four-day school week next year to save money.

Superintendent Greg Schmidt says the move will save about $65,000 from the district's $7 million budget, mostly in transportation costs.
He says that if the state Education Department approves the move, MACCRAY will be the first district in the state to so reduce its week.

Schmidt says the plan would cut 23 days out of the year by eliminating school on the Mondays. The school day would expand by an hour Tuesday through Friday.

The School Board unanimously approved the plan on Monday, but Schmidt says the district still needs to cut another $200,000 by next year.

Rising fuel prices have spiked busing costs for rural districts. For example, Schmidt says MACCRAY has about 700 students spread over 350 square miles.

The district includes the towns of Maynard, Clara City and Raymond.

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