BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho State Board of Education has set a new instructional day minimum for Idaho's public schools.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, her team, and Board staff worked with education stakeholders to develop the recommendation that the Board set the minimum of 152 instructional days per year.
These minimums will also apply to students in Nampa where the district recently confirmed a shift to four-day school weeks. Currently, over half of Idaho's local education agencies are holding four-day school weeks.
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In a January 29, 2024 release Critchfield said, "I do not support districts moving to a four-day week if they are doing it as money-saving move. You will not save significant dollars going to four days, as evidenced by the many districts that moved to a four-day week and saw little to no cost savings in the long run."
The 152 instructional days minimum is 20 days less than the average of 172 conducted by schools with a five-day school week. The change follows findings that four-day calendar schools in Idaho currently average 146 student instructional days per year.
Schools have until July 1, 2025 to meet the Board's instructional day requirement for the 2025-2026 school year.
