Guy-Perkins 2022-23 School Calendar Survey
The Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has approved four (4) different calendar options for the Guy-Perkins School District to consider for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. As a result, the district would like to survey stakeholders to obtain feedback on which calendar option would best support teaching and learning in 2022-23. Please review the four (4) options below and answer the brief survey questions.
Option 1 - Traditional Calendar - A "traditional" school calendar consists of 178 days of student-teacher interaction. A “school day” is defined as a day in which classes are in session and students receive at least six (6) hours of instructional time per day, or an average of 30 hours per week. Districts that implement a traditional school calendar must schedule at least five (5) make-up days in case of school closure for exceptional, or emergency circumstances (Ark. Code Ann. § 6-10-106(f)). This calendar format is currently being used by the district.
Option 2 - Alternate Calendar - Legislation passed during the 2021 session (Act 688) allowing for districts to implement an "alternate" school calendar based on instructional hours instead of instructional days. Under an alternate school calendar, a "school year" shall consist of at least one thousand sixty-eight (1,068) hours of instructional time, plus at least 30 "make-up" hours. For example, if a district adds 15 minutes of instruction to the schedule each day, the number of student-teacher interaction days would reduce from 178 days to 171 days.
Option 3 - Four-Day Week Calendar - School districts have the option to adopt a "Four-day Week" calendar pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 6-10-117. Under this option, a district must average 30 hours of instruction per week. For example, a district would be required to schedule four (4) instructional days a week (Monday-Thursday, or Tuesday-Friday) with 7.5 hours of instruction each day. This option would lengthen each school day by 1.5 hours (ex. 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.).
Option 4 - 12-month Calendar -A district may also choose a "12-month" calendar option as described in Ark. Code Ann. § 6-10-108. This option, which is a “twelve-month year-round educational program,” means an educational program in which all students attend school no less than the number of days required by the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts (178 days; 6 hours of instruction daily or average 30 hours per week) between July 1 and June 30. School would begin around the third week of July and end in the first week of June with more time during holiday/spring breaks. There would also be a seven-week break during June and part of July.