Superintendent reports power outage, survey results and next steps on calendar options

Superintendent Dr. Rodriguez told the Ridgefield School District board that the district experienced a multi-campus power outage caused by a vehicle accident that also interrupted internet and phone service. The district posted a two-hour delay while Clark Public Utilities assessed and repaired the damage; power was restored to all sites by about 8:15 a.m. on the day of the outage, she said.

Dr. Rodriguez also provided initial results from an instructional-calendar survey that drew 542 respondents. She said respondents included parents, staff and those who identify as both; the survey asked about preferred start/end dates, balanced calendars, conference timing and spring/winter break preferences. "We had 542 respondents total ... 233 that identified themselves as parents or guardians ... 161 who said I'm a staff member," she reported during the meeting.

Why it matters: The calendar choices affect families' planning, alignment with neighboring districts and transportation logistics. Dr. Rodriguez emphasized that the district is not changing start times for the coming school year but that the survey will inform options and further conversations with labor leaders and stakeholders before the board must adopt an instructional calendar.

Next steps: The superintendent said district staff will assemble calendar options based on these results and return recommendations for a second round of feedback with labor leaders and other stakeholders; the calendar adoption will come to the board for final approval in a future meeting.