New, old federal holidays added to Rapides' 2022-23 school calendar

Melissa Gregory, Alexandria Town Talk
·2 min read

Rapides Parish's public school calendar has been modified to recognize new and old federal holidays.

At Tuesday's regular board meeting, an add-on motion was offered to modify the 2022-23 calendar.

It added June 19, 2023, as a holiday to recognize Juneteenth, the date in 1865 when news reached Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War had ended and slavery was abolished. Congress passed legislation in 2021 to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

After the motion was read, member Wilton Barrios made a substitute motion to also add the Presidents Day holiday to the calendar. One day of the Mardi Gras holiday was taken to add Presidents Day.

The substitute motion was added to the agenda, and it later passed unanimously.

Calendar vote: Rapides' 2022-23 school year will start on Aug. 8

Want to become a teacher?: Rapides School Board might have the program for you

Here's important dates from the new 2022-23 school calendar:

  • Aug. 8: School opens with staggered starts

  • Sept. 5: Labor Day holiday

  • Oct. 7: Half day for staff training, half day for parent/teacher conferences; student holiday

  • Oct. 10-11: Fall break

  • Nov. 11: Veterans Day

  • Nov. 22-26: Thanksgiving break

  • Dec. 21-Jan. 4, 2023: Christmas break

  • Jan. 5-6: staff training/student holiday

  • Jan. 16: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday

  • Feb. 20: Presidents Day holiday

  • Feb. 21: Mardi Gras holiday

  • April 3-10: Spring break

  • May 19: Students' last day

In discussing the motion, Superintendent Jeff Powell told members the district was keeping a staggered start to the beginning of the school year.

The district began staggered starts as it dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, and Powell said he's heard from all departments "how much better of a start for the school year it is when we're able to do a staggered start like that."

Principals asked a few weeks ago to continue it, he said.

So, Aug. 8 will be the first day of school for students in first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth grades. Aug. 9 will be the first day for second, fourth, sixth and eighth graders and all high school students.

Powell said some small schools, particularly rural kindergarten through 12th grade schools, wouldn't participate in staggered starts because enrollment is smaller and students already are familiar with those schools.

The new calendar was issued on Wednesday morning.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Rapides' 2022-23 school calendar modified for Juneteenth, Presidents Day