The state of Texas requires that students reach a specified number of instructional minutes during a school year.
RISD schools and offices were closed Feb. 3, 4 and 24 due to inclement weather and hazardous conditions. Additionally, a few RISD schools closed or operated on a modified schedule due to COVID-19 issues, while high schools had a number of early release days to accommodate for exams.
Fortunately for the district, its original 2021-22 school calendar included more instructional minutes per school day than the minimum state requirement. These “bankable minutes”, as described by interim Superintendent Tabitha Branum in a Jan. 24 meeting, can be applied by RISD toward meeting the state requirement instead of extending the school year.
Under this strategy, the district would change April 14 from an early release day to a full school day. This would allow April 15 and April 18 to remain as student and staff holidays.
Additionally, the district will be adding instructional minutes to school days at seven RISD schools starting March 21 to account for schedule changes and exam-related early releases.
Five schools will add five minutes to the end of their respective school days: Berkner High School, Big Springs Elementary School, Bowie Elementary School, Lake Highlands High School and J.J. Pearce High School. Brentfield Elementary and Richardson High School will add 10 minutes to the end of their school days.
District officials said schools are expected to share campus-specific information with parents and staff about how the additional minutes may impact their daily schedules.
For district employees, the board of trustees voted during its March 7 meeting to provide payment for all regular employees without having to make up time for a Feb. 24 emergency school closing. RISD previously provided options for teachers and staff to make up time related to Feb. 3 and 4.
