Virginia Beach and Norfolk won't hold summer classes on Fridays as officials experiment with a four-day workweek to save energy.
"We're looking at different strategies and different ways we can conserve and cut back on costs," said John Kalocay, assistant superintendent of administrative support services for the Virginia Beach school division.
The division saved about $100,000 in electricity costs last summer, when 57 of the city's 88 school buildings went to a four-day schedule, Kalocay said. He said he hopes the savings will grow this year as the change goes districtwide. The division spends about $12 million a year on energy.
Norfolk officials estimate saving about 20 percent of the division's budgeted summertime costs for diesel fuel and a smaller percentage on energy bills by closing all schools and offices on Fridays, according to a memo from Michael Spencer, the school division's chief operations officer.
It is unclear how much money the percentage will equate to. Spencer did not return a phone call to his cell phone Monday.
To make up Friday class time, Norfolk students will stay in school an additional 30 to 50 minutes each day. In Virginia Beach, days were added to the summer session.
Officials from some local colleges and universities said they have considered the adjusted schedule, though none said they plan to change their work weeks this summer. Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk school divisions will keep the schedules they followed last year, according to officials.
The Portsmouth school system has used a four-day workweek in the summer for at least eight years, said Sharon Harris, a school spokeswoman.
T he four-day week didn't work when Suffolk tried it years ago because there were always reasons buildings needed to be open on Fridays, said Bethanne Bradshaw, a spokeswoman for the division.
Paul D. Camp Community College, with three campuses spread out among Franklin, Suffolk and Smithfield in largely rural western Hampton Roads, changed to a four-day class week in 2006 in response to what was then considered a gas-price crunch.
"We were a little forward-thinking," joked Patsy Joyner, vice president for institutional advancement.
Staff writer Matthew Bowers contributed to this report.
Amy Jeter, (757) 446-2730, amy.jeter@pilotonline.com
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