The move comes just over three months after the board of trustees approved a revised calendar for the 2020-21 school year, which features intersessional breaks and runs Aug. 17-June 25. While the revised calendar was met with opposition from both SISD parents and staff, SISD Superintendent Rodney Watson countered the change was necessary to combat the COVID-19 slide—or learning loss due to pandemic-induced school closures—per Texas Education Agency guidance.
However, according to the email, TEA guidelines now give districts the ability to move students to remote learning should campus closures be required, making the four weeks of planned COVID-19 breaks built into the 2020-21 calendar "unnecessary."
"The district will begin evaluating the benefits of moving back to a traditional calendar without all the planned intersessional breaks," the email reads. "When we approved the 2020-21 instructional calendar, we did so with the goal of following TEA guidance at the time. Much has changed since then and so, once again, we're adapting and adjusting to best meet the needs of our students."
The district plans to follow up in the coming weeks with a new revised traditional calendar, which will still include 180 days of instruction but end at the beginning of June, according to the email. In the interim, district officials have already removed the first intersessional break, which had been planned for Oct. 5-9, meaning all students will attend class that week—either in person or remotely.
"It's our hope that moving up the end date of the academic school year by three weeks will address concerns of both parents and staff," the email reads. "We understand, though, that this change could present some scheduling issues for families who might have already planned to take the Oct. 5-9 week off. Please work directly with your principal if you have any specific concerns."
