A 4-day school week is among the issues school boards statewide will ask lawmakers to discuss when the new session starts in January.

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex has requested lawmakers modify current laws preventing local communities from putting in place more costeffective school calendars. For example, eliminating the state's 180-day school year requirement would allow school districts to consider operating on a 4-day week.

Preliminary research presented by school superintendent Dr. Bill James to the Cherokee County School Board in late October suggested a 4-day week could save the district $1 million in operating expenses.

With a weakening economy, Cherokee County School Board Chairman Billy Blackwell said the state's school boards are calling for prompt legislative action in 2009 to provide school districts with maximum funding and program flexibility in the current budget year.

"We need more flexibility in our budget in order to manage and protect from further erosion the basic and operational services provided to students," Blackwell said. "Personally, I expect a proposal to modify the school calendar to allow districts to look at a 4-day school week will be discussed fairly early in the next legislative session."

The idea of changing school calendars to save money is not a novel concept.

A recent report by the Southeast Regional Education Board (SREB) shows discussions about 4-day school weeks often occur in tough economic times. The concept began in New Mexico in the 1970s during the oil embargo crisis when rural school districts faced sharply rising fuel and utility costs.

About 100 districts in 17 states now have a 4-day school week.

"When the economy weakens, heightened consideration is given to ways in which schools and districts can more efficiently use financial resources or make up for lost funding," education researcher Gale Gaines wrote in an August 2008 report published by SREB about the 4-day school week issue.

State law would have to be changed before any school district in South Carolina could consider implementing a 4-day school week.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives will prefile their bills Tuesday for the next legislative session. This is the start of a new 2- year legislative cycle.

State Rep. Olin Phillips said he is uncertain whether lawmakers will take quick action on any proposal to change school calendars.

Phillips said the state will need to discuss several options, including a 4-day school week, to help residents get through the state's economic crisis.

Budget cutbacks have resulted in funding for state agencies in the 2008 state budget being reduced from $7 billion in July to $6 billion in December.

"Something has to be done. We are going to have to look at ways we can generate more revenue," Phillips said. "We can't keep cutting services. The state already has 21 tax exemptions on the books. We need to take a look at our tax structure and discuss if there are some changes we can make to help solve this problem."