Peoria Unified administrators reviewed the district's calendar process on Tuesday, explained associated Arizona statutes and solicited board direction on community outreach.
Assistant superintendent Melissa Airy and Dr. Ed Hernandez walked trustees through the tradeoffs that shape a school calendar: state attendance and ADM rules, required school‑closure days, testing windows, balanced semester instructional time and professional development needs. Airy said the district typically convenes a calendar committee composed of parents, staff and community representatives and that prior work in 2023 produced the calendars currently in place.
Why it matters: the calendar determines when instruction happens relative to state testing windows, when teachers receive professional development time and how family schedules and extracurricular travel are affected. Airy told trustees that a midweek start helps teachers establish routines quickly and that the district schedules early‑release professional learning that supports curriculum implementation.
Public input and survey: staff showed results from a 2023 calendar survey with roughly 5,000 responses and described a draft survey for updated feedback. Trustees asked staff to expand outreach on the draft survey, extend the response window and return results. Several trustees stressed alignment with neighboring districts and charter schools where possible so families with students in multiple programs are not unduly burdened.
Heat and facilities considerations: staff also presented local temperature data for past start dates and noted that facility design and indoor scheduling can help mitigate heat risks for students during hot months.
Next steps: the board did not take formal action but directed staff to send the updated survey to the community, keep it open through the end of October and return the compiled results and recommendations at a subsequent board meeting; trustees requested the item be placed on a near‑term agenda for board consideration.