Marcelo Sandivar wanted to be a watchmaker his entire life — he watched his father on the job from the time he was a child in Bolivia, before he was even allowed to touch his father's tools. Now 63, Sandivar repairs and sells watches at a kiosk in Fashion Place Mall in Murray.

“I always wanted to have my own shop in the U.S.,” Sandivar said, his pride evident. He opened his business, called "Fashion Watch & Clock," in 2019 with only the support from his family and a passion for the job.

“We didn’t have money for a store front,” his daughter Gisel said. “We needed foot traffic and that’s what we got. We’ve grown entirely by word of mouth.”

Even through COVID-19, when many businesses were shuttered, Sandivar's shop was able to keep up momentum, even after a brief shutdown.

The reason? Gisel chalks it up to her father's presence. He says it's customer service.

Why 23 Utah schools have moved to 4-day weeks

The move away from the traditional five-day school week doesn't just knock a day of school off for students — it also makes the days in session longer.

This change is allowed through a waiver of the state rule on minimum school days, which is voted on by the Utah State Board of Education.

Garfield School District Superintendent John Dodds told the Board "there was 100% consensus that this is best for kids, better for the community, best for parents and (children) being with their families."

This change also benefits teachers. Some schools reported their teachers had more time to plan lessons and grade assignments.

Most of the schools that have made this change are small and rural elementary schools; only five of the 23 are high schools.

At one of the schools, Antimony Elementary School, enrollment generally ranges between seven and 22 students, with only 15 students enrolled during the 2022-23 school year.

Read more about the four-day school week.

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