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Board reviews Wymena Park extended-year calendar; members worry 4-day May break could affect testing
Summary
Wymena Park administrators presented draft extended-year instructional calendars that redistribute a two-week spring intersession into shorter breaks; board members cautioned that placing two student days off in May may undermine test prep and attendance, while staff pointed to improved attendance and chronic-absenteeism reductions as reasons the school favors its model.
Area Superintendent Melissa Kynard presented draft instructional calendars for Wymena Park Elementary's extended-year model for 2026'2027 and 2027'2028. The drafts preserve the county's spring-break dates, include six early-release days for professional learning, maintain 180 instructional days (or hourly equivalent) and 196 teacher days, and redistribute two intersession days to reduce an extended March absence for students.
Board members raised a recurring concern about testing timing. Chair Doctor James said "May is sacred" for testing and worried that giving students two days off in May (a four-day break when combined with a weekend) could reduce readiness and attendance during the first week of testing. Ms. Kynard said the school weighed teacher and family preferences, wanted to avoid consecutive March absences and noted flexibility for makeups. She also reported positive local data: Wymena Park's attendance average for the school year is up two percentage points and chronic absenteeism decreased by about 15 percentage points year-over-year.
Board members asked staff to confirm calendar details with Wymena Park teachers and families before final approval, to consider whether students could instead be released earlier at the end of the year, and to present quarter-day counts and alternatives at a later work session. The draft Wymena Park calendars are scheduled to appear on the Jan. 24 board agenda for the board's approval process; staff said there is time to collect additional staff and community feedback before final action.
Next steps: staff will verify that Wymena Park staff and families were fully consulted, clarify quarter-day counts on the draft calendar, and return with any adjustments or additional information before the Jan. 24 board agenda.
