Alabama School Officials React to Call for Longer School Days

Alabama school officials say they can not afford longer school days. President Barack Obama made the suggestion for longer days, saying American children should spend more time in school to make U.S. education globally competitive. State Superintendent Joe Morton thinks it’s a good idea. But he says the timing is bad.    Four years ago, Alabama increased its school year from 175 days
to 180. That cost $90 million including higher teacher salaries.
    But since then, Alabama schools have cut millions of dollars
from their budgets amid falling tax revenues and a struggling
economy. A longer day would cost more.