In less than two weeks, students across Minnesota will start their 2024-25 school year. That includes students at Carlton Public Schools. But those students will spend less days in the classroom than most: this year the district is implementing a four-day school week.

Carlton is a district five miles south of Cloquet with about 500 students. They are one of the six school districts in the entire state with a four-day school week, and the only district making that move this school year.

Carlton schools superintendent Donita Stepan and a math teacher in the district, Ina Kennedy joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about why they made the choice to have no school on Fridays.