During talks about budget cuts, some Pasco School Board members have raised the idea of moving to a four-day week for middle and high schools. Keep an open mind, they said, in an effort to explore the concept that is gaining attention across Florida.

Superintendent Heather Fiorentino isn't ready to head down that path.

"It is possible, and it's definitely not on my list of recommendations," Fiorentino, who faces a reelection challenge in the fall, told the Gradebook. "I am opposed to that."

She acknowledged that a district could save 20 percent of its transportation costs, as well as realize other savings. But "can you imagine being a parent and every Friday having to figure out what to do with your child?" Fiorentino said.

Saving money is one thing, she stated. But schools remain in the business of educating kids, and "I don't believe (the four-day week) is a good way to educate children."

She's not alone. School leaders on the other coast share that concern.

"A four-day school week caused by insufficient state support for the investment in education would be seen nationally and internationally as a true negative on the state of Florida," St. Lucie superintendent Michael Lannon told the Stuart News.