Bishop McCort Catholic High School officials said the school is moving to a four-day school week for the 2023-24 academic year.

Bishop McCort Catholic High School Principal and CAO Tom Smith said the change applies to student's 7th-12th grade and staff at the high school.

School officials said school days Monday through Thursday will be extended by 50 minutes. They said school will start 10 minutes earlier and end 40 minutes later than the current schedule.

Friday's will be optional days school officials said with tutoring being available from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and other activities such as preparing for standardized tests or taking a field trip will be offered.

The date the school year begins and ends will be similar Smith said.

Smith said Bishop McCort is the first school in Western Pennsylvania to adapt a four-day week. He said a few private schools have this schedule in place on the Eastern side of the state, but he is hoping to encourage other schools in the region to consider a four-day week.

About 650 school districts in America have moved to a four-day week according to Education Week.

Smith said results from research of the four-day week was positive, leading to the unanimous vote from the Board of Trustees to approve the schedule change.

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