ELK CREEK, CA (MPG) – Stony Creek Joint Unified School District will transition to a four-day instructional week beginning with the 2026-27 school year, becoming what district officials say is the only California school district offering a four-day instructional schedule paired with an optional fifth day for enrichment and support activities.
Under the new schedule, students will attend classes Tuesday through Friday from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The school year will begin Aug. 5, 2026, and end May 28, 2027. District officials said students will continue receiving the same number of state-required instructional minutes as other California school districts through slightly longer school days and a slightly extended school year.
“This change is not about reducing learning time,” Superintendent and Principal Emily Pendell said in a statement. “Our students will continue to receive the same number of instructional minutes required of school districts across California.”
The district said Mondays will not serve as regular instructional days, but schools will remain open for optional academic support, enrichment programs, credit recovery, hands-on learning opportunities and meal services.
District officials said the schedule change was made possible through legislation allowing SCJUSD to implement the model while maintaining required instructional minutes. The district also cited collaboration with the Stony Creek Chapter of the California Federation of Teachers, California School Employees Association Chapter 215 and the Grindstone Parent Advisory Council.
SCJUSD serves a large rural area where transportation, staffing and family schedules can create challenges, according to the district. Officials said the new schedule is intended to improve attendance consistency, strengthen instructional time and help the district use resources more effectively.
“For a small rural district like Stony Creek, we have to think creatively about how to best serve students while supporting the staff and families who make our schools possible,” SCJUSD Board President Ritta Martin said in a statement.
Pendell said the district will continue working with families, staff and community partners as implementation plans move forward.
“Our focus remains on doing what is best for students,” Pendell said. “This schedule allows us to maintain strong instruction while also creating something truly unique for our students and families.”