The FISD school board unanimously voted in favor of a calendar for 2020-21 at a Nov. 11 meeting that recommended adding 10 minutes to the end of the school day. As a result, next school year will end before Memorial Day, a “huge consideration” for community members, parents and staff, said Clarence Williams, FISD's executive director of support services, at the meeting.
“The calendar that is before you does that,” Williams said.
The added 10 minutes will consistently end school years before Memorial Day moving forward, Williams said at the meeting.
On a day-to-day basis, the added time will allow for more social and emotional learning, student intervention and deeper student enrichment at all levels, Williams said at the meeting.
The 2020-21 calendar will align with Collin College’s spring break, Williams said, which will benefit FISD students enrolled in dual credit.
Two calendar options were first presented to the board at a Nov. 1 workshop: one maintaining the same school hours and another starting the school day five minutes earlier and ending the school day five minutes later. Both options would have ended next school year before Memorial Day.
But board members were not in favor of beginning the school day earlier and instead suggested ending the school day 10 minutes later.
The 2020-21 calendar makes the most sense for FISD, board member John Classe said at the meeting—especially with the school year ending before Memorial Day.
“I think the benefits outweigh the negatives, especially when it comes to our kids that are taking AP tests and STAAR tests," he said.
