Destin High School announced Wednesday that it will transition to a four-day instructional week beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, with students attending classes Monday through Thursday.

• School officials said the new calendar maintains rigorous academic standards while providing more flexibility for families and increasing time for teacher collaboration.

“I am delighted to announce that our school will be transitioning to a 4-day school week,” said Principal Dr. Diane Kelly. “This change reflects our commitment to enhancing student learning, supporting staff well-being, and fostering a positive school culture.”

The decision follows what administrators described as “careful planning and feedback” from the school community. Officials emphasized that the four-day model will maintain required instructional time standards while creating additional opportunities for teacher professional development.

With the new 4-day schedule, school hours for students will be from 7:30am-3:30pm. Teacher hours will be from 7am-4pm.

Governing Board President Heidi LoCicero called the approach innovative, saying it “supports the whole child and the entire community.”

• “Happy teachers make for happy students, and happy students make happy parents, and happy parents make happy communities,” LoCicero said.

Student Council President Hannah Baxley expressed enthusiasm for the change, suggesting it will improve work-life balance for students.

“I think this will provide students a much better balance between home and school,” Baxley said. “Students can spend more time with their families, and have more time to engage in their extracurricular activities or work.”

Teacher Therese Sweeney also voiced support, referring to the new schedule as “Shark Week” – a reference to the school’s mascot.

• “Our students will benefit from our 4-day Shark Week. Productivity and intentionality will improve. It’s always a great day to be a Shark – now it’s even better,” Sweeney said.

School officials plan to continuously monitor and evaluate the new schedule for effectiveness toward student success. Additional implementation details will be shared with families in the coming weeks.

Executive Director Donald Williams said the schedule change “cements Destin High School’s commitment to provide unique educational opportunities” for students on the Emerald Coast.

The school is still accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year, but noted that seats are limited. Interested families can apply here.