Pasco County Schools will have three four-day weekends during its regular 2024-2025 school year in a bid it hopes will reduce student absenteeism.
The school board approved the proposed school calendar during its Dec. 5 meeting.
“We are hoping — and I think we are going to include this in our attendance campaign — that by placing those four-day weekends strategically, I think there’s one in October, one in February and one in April, that we can encourage our students and families to take their mini-trips or vacations on those long weekends, instead of taking off instructional days,” said Kevin Shibley, an assistant superintendent.
“So, we’re going to try to market that to our families,” he added.
School board member Alison Crumbley told Shibley: “I’ll add to your encouragement on that.”
Her colleague, Cynthia Armstrong, agreed: “That’s an excellent message because it is very frustrating when I see parents randomly taking students out for vacations.”
The new calendar also includes one full professional development (PD) day in the fall, instead of four early release days (ERD).
“I think the idea is that we can get some quality time with our teachers early in the school year with that full day of PD and then use the ERD days in the second semester to do follow-up and extension of that learning, in small chunks, as the school year continues,” Shibley said.
Consolidating the four ERDs also yields more student instructional time, overall, Shibley noted.
Shibley also pointed out a similar strategy is already used by some high-performing Florida school districts.
Elected school district leaders said they did not receive a great deal of feedback on the issue.
School board member Colleen Beaudoin said one teacher asked if the district could start the school year later in August, but Beaudoin explained that the district starts earlier so it can deliver as much instruction as possible before testing begins.
“Also, it allows us to finish the first semester prior to Winter Break, which is really important, especially at the secondary level,” Beaudoin added.
Another teacher asked if the work day after Spring Break could be shifted to before Spring Break, but Beaudoin said that would create scheduling difficulties for teachers because it would result in a week with a work day and a half-day, making it difficult for teachers to plan.
Armstrong said she received mixed feedback regarding the four-day weeks.
“I had some for it; I had some who preferred getting out earlier in the school year. So, it went both ways on that one,” she said.
Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, said the union is taking a neutral stance on the issue. He encouraged anyone who wanted to provide feedback to reach out to school board members.
“Some of these things may prove beneficial; others, maybe not so much. It’s hard to say right now.
“I’m not sure I know all of the particulars, but if proper planning and considerations are made, and I do want to note that I have had extended conversations with Mr. Shibley and I think that things are in order for planning, this might work well,” Peace said.
However, Peace added: “Respectfully, if we are going to make significant changes to the calendar, the opportunity to discuss this at an evening session prior to a vote would seem to be in order. This would allow those with concerns to express some to the board before a vote.”
Shibley said that, overall, comments received by the district were positive.
“Staff kind of liked the idea of the four-day weekends, in general,” Shibley said.
School board chairwoman Megan Harding welcomes the new approach.
“It’s different this time. We’re going to try something new,” she said.
Published December 13, 2023
