San Marcos CISD could consider implementing a Texas Education Agency funding formula called Additional Days School Year, or ADSY, in 2026-27. The initiative would add six school days to the academic calendar and garner enough funding to pay for SMCISD's summer school program.
How it works
According to Chief of Communications Andrew Fernandez, ADSY adds formula funding for districts that add up to 30 additional instructional days beyond a minimum of 175 days to campuses serving Pre-K through 8th-grade students.
Adding between one and 30 additional half-days would generate half-day formula funding through the Texas Education Agency.
One ADSY option is to implement "voluntary summer learning," which would add half-day instructional days to combat summer learning loss. If SMCISD were to implement this option and approve a 175-day calendar, the district would be able to receive funding to pay for its summer school program.
"TEA said, 'You're six days short to get this additional funding for something you already do,'" Fernandez said. "Right now, summer school is strictly paid out of our general fund."
The options
SMCISD passed its 2026-27 academic calendar in January with 169 instructional days. If the academic calendar were updated to add six days, this would meet the ADSY requirements and trigger funding for voluntary summer learning.
According to Fernandez, the following changes are being proposed by administration:
- Convert Sept. 25 from a parent community day to a half school day, half parent community day
- Convert Oct. 8 from a professional learning day to a regular school day
- Convert Dec. 18 from a PL day to a regular school day
- Convert Jan. 5 from a PL day to a regular school day
- Convert Feb. 12 from a PC day to a half school day, half PC day
- Convert April 23 from a PL day to a regular school day
Administration added that professional learning time will be built in for teachers in this model, such as providing half-day planning by bringing in substitute teachers.
"I'm optimistic and intrigued by this idea and proposal," trustee Miguel Arredondo said. "I want to hear from the principals, ... but whatever outreach we do, I'd really like to see that as quickly as possible pushed down to our teachers and parents."
More details
ADSY was approved in 2019, and districts started implementing it in the 2020-21 school year.
Participating campuses have seen an improvement in academic outcomes, Fernandez said. ADSY campus achievement growth was three points higher than the state in math and four points higher than the state in reading.
Additionally, the program would help SMCISD's budget. Under the half-day formula funding, estimates show that 30 additional days at $30 per half-day would garner $900 per student. Summer school averages 34 classrooms with 15 students per classroom, which could bring in $436,000 in total.
Half of that funding could be used to pay summer school teacher salaries with the other half going toward summer school operations such as transportation, food services and administration, Fernandez said.
"Instead of that money coming out of our local budget, we're creating that revenue through the ADSY program," Fernandez said.
What's next
While ADSY itself does not need to be approved, so the board could approve the updated calendar at a future meeting.
