2018-19 Calendar Modification Comment Web Page

2018-19 Calendar Modification

BOISE SCHOOL DISTRICT

PROPOSED MODIFICATION TO 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

PUBLIC COMMENT WEB PAGE


BACKGROUND INFORMATION:


With a focus on student achievement, the Boise School District's Board of Trustees in October of 2017 will consider modifying the 2018-19 school year calendar to end the First Semester prior to the Winter Holiday Break, which will result in ending the school year before Memorial Day weekend, the last week of May.  Currently, First Semester ends about two weeks after Winter Break and secondary students spend that 'break' studying and preparing for their final exams. The school year currently ends after Memorial Day in June.

This web page has been created to accept public comments regarding the proposed school year calendar modification. To provide public comments, please review the following information, then identify yourself as a Boise School District parent/guardian, student, staff member or patron, provide your name, address, telephone number and email address and then submit your public comments. 

Thank you for taking time to comment about the proposed school calendar modification.  


BENEFITS OF PROPOSED CALENDAR:


Making the shift to the new school year calendar for the 2018-2019 school year will:

  • Allow students and teachers to finish the First Semester before, rather than after, the Winter Holiday Break; 
  • Allow secondary students to take End of Course Assessments prior to their Winter Holiday Break, thus reducing the potential that students will forget the content that they learned over the course of the First Semester and prevent students from having to spend the Winter Holiday Break studying or completing projects; 
  • Allow students to rest during the Winter Holday Break and not worry about studying for finals or completing projects that would be due at the end of the semester;
  • Allow all students to get a fresh start for second semeser after the Winter Holiday Break;
  • Allow students to have more days of instruction before standardized and Advanced Placement testing occurs in the spring;
  • Mirror what is done at most colleges and universities with first semester ending before Winter Holiday Break and second semester starting after;
  • Allow teachers to be more efficient with instruction preventing the need in January to re-teach material due to the current holiday break between instruction and finals;
  • Eliminate days from the District Calendar that traditionally have poor attendance which impacts the amount of funding the District receives from the State for instructional purposes;
  • With final exams being given before Winter Holiday Break, rigorous instruction will occur right up until break;
  • Allow teachers to complete grades and report cards prior to the Winter Holiday Break by giving them two half days in December. 

OTHER ISSUES TO CONSIDER:


  • Moving to the new calendar means the school year would begin approximately one week earlier (August 15th versus approximately August 22nd);
  • Moving to the new calendar means the school year would end approximately one week earlier (May 24 versus approximately June 1st);
  • Transitioning to the new school year calendar means the summer break of 2018 would be reduced by approximately one week as the District moves from the old calendar to the new calendar.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:


2018-19 Proposed School Year Calendar Schedule (The length of the school year would remain the same and students would have the same number of days of vacation):

  • August 9:  Teachers on duty
  • August 15:  First day of school
  • October 12:  End of 1st Quarter
  • November 19 - 23:  Thanksgiving Week Off
  • December 19, 20, 21:  Secondary End of Semester Testing
  • December 21:  End of 1st Semester (early release - Winter Holiday Break begins)
  • December 24 - January 4:  Winter Holiday Break (2 full weeks)
  • March 15:  End of 3rd Quarter
  • March 18 - 22:  Spring Break
  • May 24:  Last Day of School (early release prior to Memorial Day)

PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION:

NOTE:  THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS.


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