Shortening the school year to meet budget cuts may seem drastic. It may, in fact, be unprecedented in Utah.

But these are unprecedented times, according to the Utah State Board of Education, which had this to say Friday to districts seeking permission to shorten the school year by one to four days: No for now; maybe later, but only as a last resort.

"For me this would be the most extraordinary of steps. The next step would be you're in the abyss," said board member Carol Murphy.

The length of the school year, 180 days, is dictated by policy. Any change to that calendar requires board approval.

Only two proposals to scale back the school schedule have surfaced, both from public charter schools. But in anticipation of cuts as deep as 15 percent for 2010, districts are exploring all options. They sought guidance from the board on whether reducing class time was even feasible.

The board had previously encouraged districts to do what they can to shield classrooms from budget cuts. But Friday's discussion suggests that may be impossible.

"It's hard for me to see how cutting days doesn't affect the classroom," said assistant superintendent Larry Shumway. Then again, so would eliminating programs, shutting down schools and laying off teachers -- all penny-pinching options being floated by districts, said Shumway.

Shortening the school year could save millions of dollars. It costs about $12.5 million to keep Utah schools open for one day. To reap the savings, though, districts would have to furlough employees. And that risks getting into sticky legal discussions over teacher contracts, said Shumway.

Rich School District moved to a four-day school week earlier this year, partly to save on transportation. Schools tacked a few hours onto each day to make up for lost seat time, skirting the need for board approval.

In other business, and in a show of solidarity with Utah's cash-strapped schools, some on the state board agreed to a voluntary 3.6 reduction in their stipend.