Education office to work 5 days

The four-day workweek won't work for the State Office of Education, said State Superintendent Patti Harrington, after a brief discussion with members of the State Board of Education during their meeting on Friday.

"We will be fully employed five days a week," Harrington said.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. recently signed an executive order to implement a four-day workweek in many state government offices. The goal is for energy efficiency and cost savings, as well as better customer service with extended hours.

State board member Teresa Theurer, of Logan, weighed in on the office's issue, saying, "I just think it would be awfully hard to have this office closed when 99 percent of the schools are open."

It simply wouldn't work unless all the school districts follow the path of Rich School District, which is trying out a four-day school week, Theurer said.

Harrington told the Deseret News after the meeting that the office hasn't formally considered a four-day workweek. "I just wanted to make sure I was in sync with the board," she said.

The office isn't completely unaffected by the governor's actions, however.

Four of the 29 statewide centers for Utah State Office of Rehabilitation, which answers to the State Board of Education, will be forced to do a four-day workweek since they are tenants in state buildings that will now be shut down on Fridays.

The sites in Ogden, Provo, Manti and Blanding will go to a four-day week.

"There is nothing we can do about it," said Don Uchida, office executive director.

The office centers work with disabled people in training and gaining employment.

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