The savings come mainly from reduction in support staff, maintenance costs, food service and transportation which allows schools to retain teachers and academic programs that would have to be dropped otherwise

It is the parents who typically have the most difficulty adjusting, with most schools reporting negative parental reactions due mostly to increased child-care expenses for the fifth day.

In addition, after one year into the three-year experiment with the new schedule, another unexpected benefit popped up: an uptick in test scores. Webb thinks that the increased “sense of urgency” of the shortened week seems to encourage teachers and students to make every hour in the classroom.