DISD Board to Discuss School Calendar
I’m at DISD headquarters, waiting to hear about the proposed new school calendars. Hillcrest principal Ron Jones is in attendance as well for the same reason.
We’re in the public forum phase of the meeting now. I’ll update you as events progress.After discussing five possible calendar options, the district is opting for a public opinion poll on one that allows for 10 “flex days” at the end of the school year.
While the details are yet to be ironed out, middle and high school students who pass all their classes and meet attendance and discipline requirements would be allowed to leave school on May 24. The “more challenged students,” as Lew Blackburn called them, would be required to stay until June 7. The new schedule also calls for an additional 45 minutes of instructional time, bringing the school day up from 7 hours and 45 minutes to 8 hours and 30 minutes.
The district is also considering a pilot program in a few feeder schools to test a 203-instruction day school year. This would be an increase of about 20 days from the standard schedule.
“Our first priority is to our students, and we have to go in this direction,” trustee Mike Morath said.
