The RISD board of trustees reviewed the calendar options during its Dec. 8 meeting.
The district plans to collect feedback on both options as part of RISD's Let's Talk initiative, which allows community members to voice their opinions. The board will review the feedback at a January meeting so the calendar can be adopted ahead of the spring.
Superintendent Tabitha Branum said she was happy to bring two recommended options in early December, since the last two calendars were proposed in the middle of the second semester.
“Let’s celebrate that it's December when we're having this conversation and not in the spring,” Branum said. “That was a direct request that the community has asked for over and over again.”
Similar to the 2022-23 calendar, both options include 174 instructional days and 13 additional days for teacher professional learning. In each option, the school year is scheduled to begin Aug. 15, with winter break starting Dec. 22 and students returning Jan. 8. Spring break would be set for March 11-15.
The major difference between both calendars is a later end to the school year and the use of April 1 as a weather makeup day. Under calendar Option A, April 1 is a weather makeup day, with the last day of school set for May 24. Calendar Option B proposes making May 23 the last day of school, with a weather makeup day May 24.
Branum said there were several factors in putting together potential school calendars that fill the 75,600 instructional minutes required by the state. Branum said the district tried to balance teachers’ preferences, testing calendars, alignment with Dallas College for dual-credit courses, student extracurriculars and more.
RISD structures its class schedule on a minimum of 440 minutes per day compared to the 420-minute typical day of instruction required by the state. According to Branum, this extra length of the school day allows the district to “bank” potential days for snow days or cancellations.
RISD officials also presented an initial draft for the 2024-25 academic calendar. The presented calendar would start Aug. 13 with winter breaking starting Dec. 23. The second semester would being Jan. 7 with spring breaking being held March 17-21. The 2024-25 school year would end May 23.
Branum said the future calendars are subject to change based on decisions made during Texas' 88th legislative session, which is scheduled to be held Jan. 10-May 29, 2023.
