Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Calendar topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District considers approving 'high-impact' activity days off; administrators plan public input
Summary
Administrators proposed asking the state to approve two to five predesignated "high-impact" days (state/regional competitions) off so districts could reduce certain school days while still meeting required instructional minutes; the district will hold two public comment sessions before returning a final calendar to the board.
District administrators told the board they are exploring an alternative school calendar that would allow the district to predesignate a small number of "high-impact" activity dates ' such as regional or state-level athletic and fine arts competitions ' as noninstructional days without reducing total required instructional minutes.
An administrator (speaker 3) said the idea is to reduce or eliminate school on known event days when large numbers of students and staff would be absent, and to make up the required minutes by shifting time elsewhere in the year. The proposal discussed at the work session suggested seeking state approval for between two and five such days in the coming years and then bringing a final calendar back to the board for approval. The administrator emphasized the changes would be proactive (predesignated) and not a substitute for unplanned closures such as snow days.
Concerns raised by board members and staff included how "high-impact" would be defined and who would decide which events qualify, potential for stakeholders to request too many dates, the effect on classroom instruction when large cohorts of students are absent, and limits set by collective bargaining/contract days for staff. Administrators noted substitutes are scarce on event days and that using some of the proposed days for professional development could offset impacts on staff time.
Administrators said they will solicit public feedback: "We will have 2 public comment sessions for stakeholders and parents," the administrator said, and indicated an administrator named Tom would schedule those sessions and provide details. The plan described a process of administrative drafting, review with union representatives, administrative revision, and then return to the board for a final calendar approval.
No formal vote or final calendar was adopted at the work session; board members asked for clear parameters and a public comment period before any final submission to the state.
