The extension of seven minutes a day, will allow the 2020-21 school year to end a week earlier than usual, according to the approved calendar.
“By a slight increase in the day, you are able to knock off a week of the school year,” Cunningham said.
The last week of school is arguably not the most productive week anyway, Cunningham said.
This recommendation comes after MISD parents expressed an interest in ending the school year prior to Memorial Day, according to Cody Cunningham, MISD's chief communications and support services officer.
As long as the district meets its minimum requirement of 75,600 institutional minutes each year, it may allocate those hours into however many days it chooses, Cunningham said. McKinney is one of several districts that are starting to extend their school days, he said.
Frisco ISD also voted to extend its school days by 10 minutes during a Nov. 11 board meeting.
“I agree trying to get done by Memorial Day is a good idea,” board member Amy Dankel said during the meeting.
According to the calendar, the last day of school at McKinney ISD will be on May 21, 2021, instead of the first week of June like usual. Memorial Day of 2021 will fall May 31, meaning students will have a full week off of school before the holiday. In addition, graduation will be held on May 24, 2021.
Starting Aug. 13, 2020, campus hours will be the following for each grade level:
Elementary schools: 8:00 a.m.-3:07 p.m.
Middle schools: 8:45 a.m.-3:52 p.m.
High schools: 7:30 a.m.-2:37 p.m.
View the 2020-21 academic calendar here.
