SAFFORD — The Safford Unified School District announced it is moving to a four-day school week starting with the 2024-25 school year.
The school board voted 3-2 to make the change, which follows the district’s move this year to have two-week fall and spring breaks in addition to the normal winter break, and moving the start date of each school year to mid-Summer.
Under the four-day school week plan, Safford High School and Safford Middle School will start at 7:30 a.m. and end just before 3 p.m.; Mt. Graham High School will start at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.; and the elementary schools will start between 8:20 and 8:30 a.m. and end between 3:27 and 3:37 p.m.
In announcing the four-day school week, the district cited the difficulty all school districts are facing with recruiting and retaining qualified, fully-certified teachers. The district states there is also a limited pool of qualified substitute teachers available locally as well.
The first day of school for students under the new schedule will be July 24.
