What Could This Mean for Families?
What Could This Mean for Families?
We know that a different academic calendar could affect more than just the number of days students are in school. It could also affect family schedules, childcare, transportation, meals, activities, and the routines families depend on throughout the year.
That is why understanding the impact on families is an important part of this exploration.
No decision has been made. As we continue studying a potential 150-day academic calendar, we are looking closely at what families would need and what challenges would need to be addressed before any change could be considered.
Childcare & Student Supervision
We know changes to the school calendar could create childcare and supervision questions for families.
As part of this process, we are exploring how periods when students are not attending their regular school schedule could affect working families and what community resources or supports may be available.
Access & Equity
As we explore a different academic calendar, we want to make sure students and families continue to have access to the support and opportunities they need.
We are considering how the calendar could affect families with different schedules, transportation needs, childcare needs, and access to learning opportunities. Our goal is to identify possible barriers early and consider how they could be addressed.
Additional Learning Opportunities
One possibility being explored is using designated periods of the calendar to provide additional support, intervention, enrichment, or other learning opportunities for students.
We are still working through what those opportunities could look like, which students would participate, and how families would access them.
Questions We Are Working Through
Our Family & Community Impact Design Team is examining questions such as:
- How could a new calendar affect childcare and family schedules?
- How could it affect families with children attending schools that follow different calendars?
- How would transportation work for students participating in additional learning opportunities?
- How could students continue to access meals and other school supports?
- Would all families have equitable access to intervention and enrichment opportunities?
- How can we make the calendar predictable and easy for families to plan around?
- What additional concerns or challenges might families experience?
These are important questions, and they are part of the reason we are taking time to explore the idea before making any decisions.
Your Feedback Is Important
As we continue exploring a potential 150-day academic calendar, we know families and community members will have questions, concerns, and ideas.
If you have a question you would like us to consider, please submit it using the link below. Your questions will help us identify what information families need and what topics should be addressed as this process continues.
*Submit Feedback or Questions About the 150-Day Calendar here*
The goal is not simply to determine whether a 150-day calendar can work. We also need to understand what it would take for it to work well for Monett students and families.