With many school districts considering moving to a modified school year schedule, Madison County School District (MCS) isn’t alone.
MCS Communications Director Gene Wright said, like many districts across the state, they are also in the exploratory stage of considering a modified calendar.
“We are currently surveying faculty to determine their thoughts and answer questions about what a modified school year calendar might look like before exploring this idea among our parents,” Wright said. “We are in the research stage of examining calendar options for the future.”
Clinton Public School District’s (CPSD) Board of Trustees approved a modified calendar for the upcoming school year at the end of January. CPSD’s Public Information Officer Robert Chapman said, in the grand scheme of things, only 13 days are being repurposed.
“These built-in breaks are in place to help teachers stay on top of their game in the classroom,” Chapman said. “Students needing remediation or assistance in a more intimate setting will have opportunities for just that. There’s been talks of offering enrichment style camps, and as those are further developed, we’ll be able to offer more to the students of Clinton.”
These enrichment programs will allow parents wishing to travel during traditional school periods a chance to do that without their student being required to miss instructional time in the classroom, he added.
The modified calendar is not year-round school. Students will still attend school for 180 days with the fall semester beginning two weeks earlier to allow for extended breaks. Within CPSD, students will still have eight weeks of summer break beginning on Memorial Day in May with traditional holidays such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving Week, Christmas Break, MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Spring Break and Good Friday.
“Any type of change will present challenges, and this change will be no different,” Chapman said. “We've had buy-in from child care providers as well as staff and parents. The largest challenge will be starting school two weeks earlier than most are accustomed to. A little flexibility will be required as we transition into this modified calendar, but we feel our students and our teachers will benefit from this shift.”
As far as affecting extracurriculars and sports, the athletic teams and performing groups already practice during the summer, Christmas, and Spring Break.
“Every district is given 180 instructional days, and we are always trying to make sure we use those days in the best possible way that will benefit students and staff,” Chapman said.
As MCS is still in the research phase, Wright said their expectation is to remain on a traditional calendar for the 2023-2024 school year.
“Any discussion of a modified calendar for our district would be for the 2024-2025 school year or beyond,” Wright said.
