Here's when spring break falls on Springfield Public Schools' proposed 2024-25 calendar

Families and teachers who like the current Springfield school calendar will likely be fans of the one proposed for the 2024-25 year. They're strikingly similar.

The only major change appears to be spring break. It is the second full week of March this year but will shift to the third full week of March in 2025.

The school board is expected to vote Tuesday on the proposed calendar for next year.

Bret Range, chief human resources officer, provided an overview during the Feb. 13 meeting. A calendar committee met in October and November and included educators, administrators and representatives from the teachers union, the Springfield Council of PTAs, and four colleges and universities.

"Every school district is required to give 1,044 hours of instruction," Range told the board. "Now, schools have the ability to chunk that up how they want, how many days you meet is up to you. We meet 172."

The district built in 1,116 hours of instruction. By scheduling seven-hour days, minus 30 minutes for lunch, this year will have 11 extra days worth of instruction built in.

In addition to setting a minimum number of instructional hours, state statute also prohibits starting the school year more than 14 days before the first Monday in September, which is typically Labor Day.

If approved by the board, the first day of class will be Monday, Aug. 19.

"You can't start school before that day," Range said.

The preschool classrooms do not open until Aug. 21. "They start two days later because those (preschool) educators help in kindergarten classrooms, acclimating kids back to school."

Here are some other key dates:

• Oct. 21 through Nov. 1 − Parent-teacher conferences

• Nov. 5 − Election day, school is not in session

• Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 − Winter break

• Jan. 6 − Start of spring semester

• April 8 − Election day, school is not in session

• March 17-21 − Spring break

• May 23 − Last day of school

Laura Mullins, president of the Springfield NEA, outlined concerns about the proposed calendar in a Nov. 8 email that she forwarded to the board, as a reminder, Feb. 12.

She said due to the state statute delaying the first day of class to late August, there is a 10-day instructional gap between the fall and spring semester.

Mullin said the shorter fall semester means teachers are responsible for the "same amount of curriculum and testing in a semester that is two weeks shorter."

She said talk of ending the first semester in January instead of December came up but was "shut down due to the need for alignment with area universities."

In the past, the district has cited the high number of students enrolled in "dual credit" courses, which count toward a high school diploma and college degree.

The union, which represents 87% of teachers and support staff at the bargaining table, questioned starting the year on a Monday and ending it on a Friday.

Mullins also asked why classes were in session Monday, April 7 when they are out the following day for the election. "Historically, days like this have poor student and staff attendance."

She said the plan to not have class the entire week of Thanksgiving is a concern for teachers and for nearly 700 staff on the nine-month schedule who are paid hourly. She noted fewer hours worked in November equates to a smaller paycheck.

"Teachers have now experienced this and have commented on the days off being too many in a row as they noticed a significant learning loss with their students," she wrote, in the email.

Under state statute, districts are allowed to use Alternative Methods of Instruction, or AMI, to make up 36 hours of instruction annually when classes have been canceled for weather or emergencies.

Board member Kelly Byrne asked why the district has not yet used AMI during the 2023-24 year. Five days of school have been canceled this year due to inclement weather.

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Range responded that the district has built an additional 11 days worth of instructional hours into the calendar on top of the 1,044 required by state.

"The primary reason we haven't been using it is because we have all those hours built in above," he said.

Superintendent Grenita Lathan said that if additional days were canceled, depleting more of the extra hours built in, then "we start considering AMI or adding days to the end of the calendar year, which we're trying to avoid."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield schools' proposed 2024-25 calendar would move spring break