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• The district is made of a large portion of non-taxable public trust land and to make up for fewer property taxpayers, the district relies heavily on Federal Impact Aid Funding. But two years ago the district saw a $600,000 decrease in funding. Officials were able to balance the budget, but had to cut four positions and consolidate bus routes. Brenden said knowing more cuts were coming pushed them toward making a change.
• "We just really can't cut staff any more without really affecting programs," he said.
• Brenden said the district hopes to save close to $250,000 as a four-day schedule decreases energy costs and expenses such as running the school cafeteria.
• Dunseith is following the pattern of other schools nationwide that rely on Federal Impact Aid Funding and have gone to four-day weeks in the wake of cuts, Brenden said.
• Dale Wetzel, a spokesman for the Department of Public Instruction, said the department won't approve schools to switch to four-day weeks solely for financial reasons. Districts have to show the department they will increase the education quality for students.
• Brenden said studies of the approximately 120 schools around the country that run on four-day weeks have shown that morale and attendance have increased in students and staff.
• Weeks will run Monday through Thursday at Dunseith. Friday will be development days and time that students can get extra help. And because they're lengthening their classes by ten minutes each, Brenden said Dunseith students will actually be in school more over the course of the year than those at schools with traditional schedules.
• Dunseith said 95 percent of parents surveyed said they supported the change if it meant teachers could keep their jobs and the quality of the education wouldn't be negatively affected. A few also mentioned the issue of child care on Fridays.
• Derek Gackle, the principal of East Fairview Elementary, has seen the changes firsthand in his two children that attend Fairview Elementary across the border in Montana. Fairview began running on a four-day schedule this year. He said his kids are more upbeat knowing they have a shorter week.
• "Hey, it's four days, we can get through it," he said, describing his kids' attitudes.
• East Fairview is changing their schedule to mirror Fairview's, where North Dakota students attend high school.
• Gackle said the shorter schedule will also allow staff to have more development days. The state currently requires two per year.

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