Board weighs trade-offs for 2023–24, 2024–25 calendars after survey shows mixed support
December 13, 2022 | MANASSAS PARK CITY PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia
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Eric Neff presented results from the district's calendar surveys for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 school years, summarizing stakeholder responses, common themes in written feedback, and calendar options used by neighboring districts.
Neff said the 2023–24 survey generated about 214 responses: roughly 58 percent staff, 24 percent parents and 19 percent students. He reported that 53 percent of respondents did not approve the proposed 2023–24 calendar while 46.7 percent approved, and that 153 participants left written comments identifying common themes: requests for two full weeks of winter break, spreading teacher professional-development days across the year instead of front-loading them, and requests for early-release days for planning or grading.
Neff compared calendars from nearby districts: Prince William County had approved a calendar with the same start date, breaks and end date as the division's proposal; Manassas City had released three proposals with varying winter-break lengths; and Loudoun County's proposed calendar did not include a two-week winter break. Neff told the board staff could modify professional-development placement and add half-day options, but adding days throughout the year would likely push the student end date into mid-June to meet the 180 instructional-day requirement.
Board members asked for more breakdown by stakeholder type and for options that preserve alignment with neighboring divisions while accommodating teacher planning time. Discussion covered the logistics and trade-offs of half-day early-release options (including impacts on school meals and after-school activities), discretionary and contractual days for staff (noted as 200 contractual days with 180 required instructional days), and how spreading PD across the year might affect start and end dates.
Chair direction: the board expressed support for staff to return with revised calendar proposals -- including options that spread PD days across the academic year and that consider limited half-day professional-development opportunities -- and asked staff to present proposals at the January meeting. No formal vote was taken at this meeting.
Neff said the 2023–24 survey generated about 214 responses: roughly 58 percent staff, 24 percent parents and 19 percent students. He reported that 53 percent of respondents did not approve the proposed 2023–24 calendar while 46.7 percent approved, and that 153 participants left written comments identifying common themes: requests for two full weeks of winter break, spreading teacher professional-development days across the year instead of front-loading them, and requests for early-release days for planning or grading.
Neff compared calendars from nearby districts: Prince William County had approved a calendar with the same start date, breaks and end date as the division's proposal; Manassas City had released three proposals with varying winter-break lengths; and Loudoun County's proposed calendar did not include a two-week winter break. Neff told the board staff could modify professional-development placement and add half-day options, but adding days throughout the year would likely push the student end date into mid-June to meet the 180 instructional-day requirement.
Board members asked for more breakdown by stakeholder type and for options that preserve alignment with neighboring divisions while accommodating teacher planning time. Discussion covered the logistics and trade-offs of half-day early-release options (including impacts on school meals and after-school activities), discretionary and contractual days for staff (noted as 200 contractual days with 180 required instructional days), and how spreading PD across the year might affect start and end dates.
Chair direction: the board expressed support for staff to return with revised calendar proposals -- including options that spread PD days across the academic year and that consider limited half-day professional-development opportunities -- and asked staff to present proposals at the January meeting. No formal vote was taken at this meeting.
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