Another North Texas school district – this time in Tarrant County – is switching to four-day week​on February 28, 2025 at 2:54 pm

KENNEDALE, Texas — The Kennedale Independent School District is moving to a four-day school week next year, officials announced.

The Tarrant County district will make the switch in the spring semester of the 2025-2026 school year, according to the new calendar approved by the board members Wednesday night. Starting in January 2026, Kennedale students will attend classes Tuesday through Friday, and the school days will be 15 minutes longer to meet state requirements.

District officials said they’re “working to secure childcare options” for Mondays, which will be an off day for students and staff.

District officials attributed the switch to efforts to recruit and keep staff and improve student engagement.

“As more districts across the state transition to this model, Kennedale ISD is proactively addressing concerns related to staff recruitment and retention, student engagement, and work-life balance for staff, students, and their families,” a district statement said. “Studies on four-day weeks suggest potential advantages in areas such as discipline, attendance, and overall school satisfaction.”

The district officials said they’re also working to partner with a community organization to make sure students who need food will have access to extra food over the new three-day weekend.

Kennedale, which has around 2,700 students, is planning to pilot the new four-day schedule for at least 2 1/2 years.

Kennedale is not the first North Texas school district to switch to a four-day schedule. Just this week, the Ponder Independent School District announced that it will transition to a four-day school week during the fall semester, taking Fridays off.

Last year, the Sanger Independent School District announced it was moving to a four-day school week in October 2024. School districts in Mineral Wells and Hillsboro have also switched to four-day weeks in recent years.