(NewsNation) — More Americans oppose a four-day school week than support it, according to a new NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll released Tuesday.
Just over half of respondents said they somewhat or strongly oppose changing the school week to four days. About 36% were in favor of the change, while 14% said they weren’t sure.
That opposition was consistent across the political spectrum, with 54% of Republicans, 50% of independents and 46% of Democrats against shortening the school week.
The survey comes amid a broader national debate around four-day weeks, which have become more popular in recent years as school districts try to improve student performance and reduce costs. For now, the evidence is mixed when it comes to the shortened week’s impact on academic outcomes.
But future support will likely depend on how it affects student performance, which is the top concern for Americans heading into this school year.
Overall, respondents were most likely to say “poor education standards” are the biggest issue facing students, although Republicans (35%) and independents (29%) were more likely to think so than Democrats (14%).
Those concerns follow numerous studies that have shown significant learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same time, districts across the country continue to face challenges in recruiting and retaining educators, which was the top concern for Democratic respondents.
A plurality of those surveyed, 48%, said increasing teachers’ salaries is the best way for schools to address the shortage. About 13% of respondents thought providing stipends or giving teachers more autonomy over curriculum were the best solutions.
Others cited physical safety (16%) and bullying (14%) as the main issues facing students.
“These concerns are pretty wide-ranging… education hits all different demographics and all different classes and this poll shows that,” said Scott Tranter, head of data science at Decision Desk HQ.
Students’ mental health was also a top concern, particularly for younger respondents. Those ages 18-34 said mental health is the biggest issue for students going into this school year.
Earlier this year, a CDC report revealed multiple alarming health trends for American teenagers, particularly among girls.
A growing body of research has linked those negative trends to social media use. In May, the United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on social media and its impact on youth mental health.
“We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis,” he wrote.