School board votes to discontinue Rawlings Elementary year‑round pilot after one year

The Alachua County School Board voted 4–1 April 15 to discontinue the district’s year‑round pilot at Rawlings Elementary School and return the school to the standard 10‑month calendar for 2025–26. Board member Ms. Surdon moved to end the nontraditional calendar and Mr. Vu seconded the motion; Chair Rockwell and Board members Vu and Plavic voted in favor and Dr. McNeely cast the lone dissenting vote.

District staff had presented data showing enrollment and attendance shifts and mixed survey results from families and staff. The presentation, given by district staff supporting Rawlings, described a net withdrawal of 233 students during the year, with 181 of those moves occurring to other schools within Alachua County; 41 students transferred to Metcalf, the presentation said. The district compared FTE counts from two reporting periods and reported roughly a 19–20% decrease in some cohorts year over year.

Why the board acted

School leaders and district staff told the board they saw inconsistent enrollment patterns tied to the year‑round schedule. The administration said Rawlings had an overall attendance average near 89% this year, versus a 92% district average, and noted that when Rawlings was in session on dates when most other schools were not, attendance on some days fell sharply (one date showed 59.1% attendance). The administration and Rawlings leaders also presented academic measures (district progress monitoring and K‑12 LIFT data) that they said showed some short‑term gains in early grades but continued low projections for proficiency in later grades: for example, Rawlings’ third‑grade projection for English language arts was 26% scoring at grade level and 16% in math on a PM2‑based projection; fourth‑grade projections showed low proficiency in both subjects.

Parents and staff surveys were a key part of the record. District staff reported 47 total parent survey responses (about 67% of Rawlings households) and said 34% of respondents reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with the year‑round model while 26% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied; staff responses were more positive, with 71% of Rawlings staff reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied. The district said 67% of Rawlings households returned the spring survey and that staff participation in the staff survey was high.

Board debate and rationale

Board members who supported ending the pilot described practical burdens for families and staff and pointed to continuing enrollment losses. Mr. Vu said families faced extra childcare costs and scheduling conflicts because Rawlings was sometimes on a different calendar than neighboring schools and that about 20% of the cohort left Rawlings during the year. He said those disruptions were preventing stable attendance and argued the district should prioritize getting families and students back into the classroom on a synchronized calendar.

Dr. McNeely, who voted against the motion, said the school and district had not been given enough time to evaluate the pilot and urged continued support for the Rawlings staff, noting turnover and other implementation challenges that had affected results.

What the board approved and next steps

The board’s action will return Rawlings to the district’s standard calendar for 2025–26. District staff said Rawlings will run a stand‑alone summer school beginning June 9 to provide targeted instruction and avoid clustering summer classes with other sites. The administration also told the board it will bring a proposed district capital and support plan to a future workshop and that it will continue targeted coaching and professional development for Rawlings teachers during the summer.

Clarity and caveats

The district emphasized implementation obstacles during the pilot year: a high share of new teachers at Rawlings (district slides noted about 44% of media‑reported staff were in their first years at the school) and scheduling differences that complicated comparisons to other schools. Board members asked for additional sibling‑attendance data and for clearer alignment of district coaching supports to ensure the school’s instructional staff receive consistent targeted help. Several board members and staff committed to produce follow‑up reports on outcomes and supports after the summer program.

Rawlings’ year‑round pilot, approved by the district as a four‑year state‑authorized pilot, will end with the board’s vote. District staff said they will present follow‑up academic and operational data after summer instruction to help the board monitor student outcomes.

Ending

District staff said they will return to the board with post‑summer measures on progress monitoring and a timeline for implementation of the standard calendar at Rawlings. Dr. McNeely said she would keep advocating for more time and supports for Rawlings staff; other board members said they want a focused, time‑bounded plan for instructional coaching and family outreach to reduce continued churn and attendance gaps.