The days when the Arlington school system sends out, for public review, various school-calendar options for the subsequent year may soon be a thing of the past.
Superintendent Francisco Durán this summer will propose more standardized criteria to guide the calendar-making process. If approved by the School Board, the new guidelines will go into effect for the 2024-25 school year.
“Consistency, consistency, consistency” is what Durán said he was striving for.
Among the proposals seemingly baked into the concept plan:
• The school year would run at least 180 days.
• Students would return to classes two weeks before Labor Day to start the new year, with the last day of school coming before June 19.
• There would be a two-week winter break, and the one-week spring break would be aligned with Easter.
In what could be the most contentious issue, Durán plans to maintain a significant number of days to accommodate a wider array of religious holidays. While some have praised the effort, others – including teachers – have been critical, saying the extra days off dotted throughout the school year make it more difficult to gain the kind of academic traction that require five-day weeks.
Feedback on the concept plan is being accepted through May 19 on the school system’s Website at apsva.us. There will be a public hearing prior to School Board action.
The 2023-24 calendar was adopted earlier and will not be impacted.
