Vinton Elementary School, located in suburban Indianapolis, has become the first school in Indiana to shift to a four-day school week. The Lafayette School Corporation’s Board of Trustees approved the change last week, which will take effect starting with the 2024-2025 academic year.

Under the new schedule, students will attend classes Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Six "professional development days" are scheduled on Fridays throughout the academic year to provide teachers with designated time for planning and growth.

This updated schedule will provide a total of 151 instructional days, offering over 64,000 minutes of education. This exceeds Indiana’s minimum requirement by more than 10,000 minutes. The Lafayette School Corporation emphasized that the change aims to deliver learning options that best serve the diverse needs of families.

Parents are invited to attend informational meetings to learn more about the transition. The response to the announcement has been mixed: some parents praised the decision for offering families greater choice, while others raised concerns about the impact on children who rely on the school week for essential needs like meals.

Despite these varied reactions, school officials remain committed to addressing potential challenges and ensuring the four-day week serves the community effectively. Programs such as meal distribution and extracurricular activities will help mitigate concerns around access to essential services, and administrators will continue to refine the approach based on community feedback.

The Lafayette School Corporation is confident that this adjustment will align better with the needs of students, teachers, and families, leading to an improved and supportive learning environment.