The clock strikes 5 p.m., marking my Science Olympiad Club meeting, cello class and badminton practice. Five hours later, I am ready to hit the hay as a lab report, calculus homework and studying for tests await me. I just wish I had more time, even if it was just one day to relax and catch up on everything.

Many students across the country are faced with similar circumstances. Perhaps the most important thing to a high school student is time. Time for studying. Time for sleep. Time for activities. We often run out of time for life. It is hard to remember that there is more to life than school because of the plethora of activities and fierce competition in our schools. 

One solution to this is a day less of school. 

The four-day school week is being implemented in more than 1,600 schools in 24 states. A newsletter released in February mentioned that Coppell ISD is beginning to explore this new system too for its 2024-25 and 2025-26 school year. 

With an extra day off from school, students will feel a great load of stress lifted from their backs. This extra day can serve as a mental health day, a review day, a work day or a day to catch up on extracurriculars. Sleep Foundation notes that research from many accounts indicates that 70 percent of high school students get less than the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep each night. As a student, having another day where I can catch up on sleep would tremendously benefit my physical and mental health.

Teachers also have lives outside of school, but because of the planning and work it can become hard to do other things. For example, Coppell High School Securities and Investments teacher Brian Simpson runs a sports camp and invests in real estate outside of school. 

“If I taught for four days and had an extra day to do those things, fill the gas or go to a doctor’s appointment, it would be great,” Simpson said.

 This more relaxed schedule would also act as an incentive for teachers to work in certain districts or states as well.

Coppell ISD is likely to save a little bit of money from another day off, which can be used to renovate buildings and invest in new technology as well as better safety and security equipment. 

However, the monetary effect is not the same for all students. For students who suffer from food insecurity, the district offers their families the ability to apply for free or reduced-price meals at schools. If students are home for an extra weekday, parents will most likely have to stay at home to take care of their children. If their leaves aren’t paid, these families will suffer even more. But this problem can be addressed. The district has the ability to invest some of the money they saved from the day off to assist these families. Perhaps, high school students could watch the younger elementary students, either for volunteering or a part time job.

Regardless of CISD’s decision, it is important that students continue to take into account their mental health and not push themselves too much. School is not only a place for learning but also a place where we can grow as people, cultivate new relationships and discover more about ourselves. The length of the week can’t change that.

Follow Deepali Kanchanavally (@deepali0914) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.