The Fayetteville Board of Education voted to revise the 2023-24 district calendar in accordance with both the Certified and Classified PPC recommendation. The revisions are intended to address the seven inclement weather days we have missed by extending the instructional day by 35 minutes for grades 5-12 in lieu of adding seven days to the end of the school year. This mid-year revision is possible thanks to the Arkansas Department of Education allowing school districts to switch from a traditional (days based) calendar to an alternative (hours and minutes based) calendar.
While we recognize this decision did not include the desired engagement level all of us would prefer, a decision had to be made and implemented quickly to gain the greatest amount of benefit from this change. The primary driver of this decision is recouping as much instructional time as possible prior to state testing by providing teachers and students with additional class time each day.
The following revisions will take effect on Monday, February 5, 2024:
Grades 5-12 will add 35 minutes to the end of each school day.
Middle schools: 7:40 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.
Junior Highs: 8:25 a.m - 4:05 p.m.
High School: 8:30 a.m. - 4:05 p.m.
Grades K-4 will not be required to add additional minutes due to additional instructional time already built into their daily schedule. But, staff will extend their work day by 35 minutes. The elementary instructional day will remain 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The last day of school will now return to the Friday before Memorial Day, May 24, 2024.
The February 19, 2024, holiday (President's Day) will remain a district holiday, but will also serve as a makeup day if we have additional weather closings between now and February 19.
The April 19, 2024, district holiday will be moved to April 8, 2024, to allow students, their families, and our staff members to participate in the solar eclipse. April 8 will also serve as a possible makeup day if we have more winter weather closings.
May 28, 29, and 30 will be the remaining three makeup days for winter weather closings.
PLEASE NOTE: We recognize that adding an additional 35 minutes to the end of the instructional day for grades 5-12 could create unique challenges for some of you. If this is the case, please reach out to your building or departmental administrator and they will do everything they can to find a solution that works for your situation. Our goal will be flexibility with both staff and families as we move forward.
We appreciate everyone’s understanding as we navigate this process.