Why not a 4 day school week?

California stateworkers may be going to a 4-day workweek (with 9.5 hour days, 38 hours per week) as a proposal to save 5% in costs of state compensation.

With schools also facing budget cuts, why not a 4-day school week?  Except instead of longer school days, I would propose a longer school year with 3 day weekends.

The traditional calendar is 36 weeks x 5 days = 180 days  Why not 42 weeks x 4 days = 168 days? 

Some school districts around the country have gone to 4 day weeks with longer school days - similar to the state worker proposal - in order to save money on fuel and utilities for buses and heating buildings, etc.  I oppose that concept. 

But I bet students would actually learn more with a shorter summer break and 3 day weekends throughout the year. 

As a parent facing school budget cuts, and dreading the too long summer break with bored children, this idea sounds really good to me now.