Survey results help plan for next academic year
(Seguin) – Thanks to parents and the Seguin community, the dates are officially set for the upcoming school year in the Seguin ISD. After garnering a total of 1,212 responses via an online school calendar survey, the majority of community members chose Calendar Option 1.
Earlier this month, the two options for the school calendar were provided to the community for consideration. Through the survey, an opportunity was given to them to provide feedback and to ultimately help the district decide which calendar to approve.
Bringing the recommended school calendar to the Seguin ISD Board of Trustees for final approval was Sean Hoffmann, the chief communications officer for the Seguin ISD. Hoffmann noted that approximately 74 percent of people or 800 to 900 people were in favor of Option 1.
Key notes include Thursday, Aug. 15 as the first day of school and May 25 as the last day of school and the Friday before Memorial Day. The calendar also includes Monday, Aug. 19 as the first day of school for pre-k students at Ball Early Childhood Center.
While all the major holidays remain the same, Hoffmann says parents will find a few changes to the school calendar.
“Teachers suggested that we eliminate the half days during the week. In other words, our current calendar, we have a couple of half days built in on Wednesdays which is early dismissal for students. They were looking to have full days of in-service and getting rid of those half days so there was a suggestion, strong push that we consider Nov. 1 the day after Halloween as an in-service day and student holiday so we have that on Friday, Nov. 1. No students will be in school that day,” said Hoffmann.
Hoffmann says the most significant change is intersession and explains why it will not appear on next year’s calendar.
“Another big change that you will notice is not in the calendar is intersession as well. Quite frankly, we can’t fund it anymore. There is no more funding available for intersession so that was not included in any of the drafts that went out to the community,” said Hoffmann.
Again, all traditional holidays have been built into this calendar including a student holiday, the Monday, following Easter.
The calendar was pieced together utilizing all the required days by the state and was the final product released by the Seguin ISD’s Education Improvement Council (DEIC) which is composed of teacher representatives from each campus. The calendar was unanimously approved during Tuesday’s meeting of the Seguin ISD Board of Trustees.