The approved version was one of two proposals presented to the board Jan. 21. Both proposals included holidays on Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Good Friday, as well as featuring two bad-weather days.
There are 175 instructional days for students and 187 contract days for teachers and staff incorporated into the approved calendar. The calendar meets the minimum 75,600 operational minutes required by the Texas Education Agency.
Teachers will begin the 2021-22 school year Aug. 5, a week prior to the first day of instruction. The last contracted day for teachers is May 27, 2022, prior to Memorial Day weekend.
The 2021-22 winter break will begin in the afternoon of Dec. 17, following a half day for students, and students will return to classes Jan. 5. Instructors' winter break will begin Dec. 20, and teachers will return Jan. 3.
Three professional learning days and seven planning and preparation days are included in the calendar, in addition to district-recognized holidays on Columbus Day and Presidents Day. Two early-release days are included in the approved calendar.
PfISD incorporated 1,065 banked minutes into the calendar, equivalent to two days, three hours and 15 minutes' worth of instructional time. Banked days can be used before activating a bad-weather day, Chief Academic and Innovation Officer Brandy Baker confirmed Jan. 21.
PfISD received 2,771 responses from the public regarding academic calendar preferences, with 56% of respondents selecting the now-approved calendar.
