The Hays CISD board of trustees voted Jan. 28 to approve the 2019-20 school year academic calendar, which has a few significant differences from previous years due to HCISD's new status as a district of innovation, or DOI.
The DOI designation was created by the Texas Legislature in 2015 as a way to give independent school districts some of the flexibility charter schools have under state law. While becoming a district of innovation can allow for numerous exemptions to curriculum or logistics requirements, the most-used exemption is the one that allows schools to start earlier in August.
The earlier start, Superintendent Eric Wright said when he presented the idea of becoming a DOI, will allow the district to have two 18-week semesters instead of one 36-week school year. Wright said it will allow high school students to take more advanced classes in a given year because they will have fewer classes to focus on at one time.
Because the the 2019-20 school year will start earlier than usual on Aug. 15, it will end earlier, with no class days in June 2020, an aspect of the schedule Hays CISD Chief Communications Officer Tim Savoy said received wide praise during a districtwide survey taken after the draft schedule was released.
Major dates are listed below; for details, see the draft calendar approved by the board.2019 August 15 First day of school
September 2 Student holiday
October 14-15 Student holiday
November 25-29 Thanksgiving break
December 23-31 Winter break
2020 January 1-6 Winter break 20 Student holiday
February 17 Student holiday/weather makeup day (if needed)
March 16-20 Spring break
April 10 Good Friday 13 Student holiday/weather makeup day (if needed)
May 22 Last day of school
