Desert Sands work group favors August start but parents, classified staff raise concerns about process and heat mitigation

Dan Borgen, the district’s director of personnel and leadership development, reported to the Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education on a multi-stakeholder instructional calendar work group convened this spring and summer to gather input ahead of the joint DSUSD–DSTA calendar committee. The work group of 47 people included two trustees, two association presidents, 24 certificated staff, nine classified staff and 13 parents, and met four times to produce preferred calendar options and a short survey of participants.

The work group’s stated constraints included the district requirement of 180 instructional days, recognition of national holidays and contract provisions for two teacher prep days and two professional-development days. Borgen said the work group’s top conclusions were consistency year to year, consideration of moving at least one professional-development day to just before the start of school and an earlier spring break; participants’ strongest single preference in the group survey was starting school in August with PD days before students return. “Starting…