Schools across the country are beginning to initiate a new program to cut down on energy and transportation costs, saving thousands and possibly millions of dollars. Even better, the move costs nothing: Let students off on Fridays. Massachusetts schools are hesitant to follow the new trend, which is understandable in their case. But in other communities, this measure might be a perfect fit.

In New England, the school year and school day would need to be extended. Massachusetts requires students to be in school for 990 hours, with a minimum of 180 school days. Cutting Fridays would require some extra hours in those four days. More work could be done in one day, thus making up for the loss of one day. Teachers could also benefit: They would gain an extra day to grade papers, update lesson plans and stay organized. And they would still have a full weekend to spend with their families.

The best part of the four-day week is the cost. Eliminating one day of classes will not cost the school district, or university or college for that matter, any money. The amount of money saved might be marginal, but it will definitely pay off in the short run. When a small, Midwestern school district saves $50,000 in one year by having students attend class Monday through Thursday, it’s great. But large universities, such as Boston University, would not benefit from that amount of money.

This is not to say that such a program could never work at a large university. Having such an urban campus, transportation costs would not be greatly affected by eliminating Friday classes. Some professors may commute to BU’s campus, but the majority of students live within walking distance or opt for public transportation.

There is also the risk that students would not take advantage of the supposed “homework holiday.” Perhaps Thirsty Thursdays would simply grow more intense as college students could see the empty Friday as a day of rest, relaxation and recovery. An extra day devoted to catching up on homework could be an asset. If other colleges and universities start instituting four day weeks, maybe BU will take a look at the program and follow. But as of now, the impact would not be great enough. Students need to keep stacking classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays to give themselves that coveted three-day weekend.