- August 17: First day of school: School will begin on a Tuesday. A four-day work week should provide time for staff and students to take care of general housekeeping, materials disseminated, rules and expectations, and first lessons.
- October 13: Late Start. Staff will begin professional development sessions at the beginning of the regular school day. Students will begin school two hours later. School will release at the usual time. See attachment further discussion of "late starts."
- October 22: Professional Development Day. This date will tentatively be reserved for data analysis and the action plan development, contingent upon the release of the MAP Data.
- October 29: Earned Day Off. Staff will have held two nights of parent-teacher conferences for a total of eight (8) hours.
- November 10: Late Start
- November 24-26: Thanksgiving Break. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is given as a travel day.
- December 23 - January 2: Christmas/Holiday Break. Staff and students will be out of school beginning on a Thursday (23rd). Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 4.
- January 3: Professional Development Day. Staff will return on Monday, January 3 for professional development.
- February 9: Late Start
- February 18: Earned Day Off. Staff will have held two nights of parent-teacher conferences for a total of eight (8) hours.
- March 9: Late Start
- March 14-18: Spring Break. A full week will be set aside for spring break. The break comes relatively early in order to have two full weeks of class prior to the MAP testing window.
- April 22: Good Friday.
- May 18: Last Day of School.
- May 19: Teacher Workday (The teacher workday will follow the last day of school regardless of the actual date the school year ends. It may be moved back as the district uses snow make-up days.)
- May 19 - 26: Inclement Weather Make-Up Dates
FAQ for Late Starts:
Q Why are the late starts being held?
A. Professional development is vitally important as we strive to improve student achievement. These two-hour late starts, as well as the full-day professional development days, allow staff an opportunity to study data and to learn best practices for teaching children. This is structured instructional and/or data study time for staff.
Q. Will students still ride the bus on late start days?
A. Yes, buses will run their regular routes, but they will do so two hours later in the morning. Parents wishing to bring students to school earlier may do so.
Q. How will children be supervised on late start days?
A. All buildings will provide a structured, supervised plan during the two-hour time segment set aside for late starts. The district will use JCPS non-certified staff for supervision. This plan may also utilize Boys and Girls Club staff, YMCA "Y-Care" staff, or Lincoln University education studies students. If parents desire, students will be able to arrive at school at their regular time, eat breakfast, and participate in this structured time.
Q. Will students be served breakfast on late start days?
A. Breakfast will be served as usual on late start days. The district recognizes that many students depend on school-served breakfasts. In most cases the schools will serve "cold" breakfasts on late start days.
Q. Is the late start concept unique to Jefferson City?
A. No, many districts use the format. Included below are some of those districts:
• Mehlville, MO: http://www.mehlvilleschooldistrict.com/wc/Default.asp?info=856968784_1-PressRelease-31&Previous=PressReleaseArchive
• James Bowie HS (Austin, TX): http://www.jbhs.org/LateStartDates.html
• Hopkins, Minnesota: http://hopkinsschools.org/latestart-dates-scheduled-2009-10
• Orland Park, IL: https://district.d230.org/Lists/School%20News/DispForm.aspx?ID=7
Q. What will the structure for late start days look like?
A. For students and parents, the primary thing to remember is that school will start two (2) hours later than usual. If your school typically starts at 8:00 a.m., it will now begin at 10:00 a.m.; if it starts at 8:30 a.m., it will now start at 10:30 a.m. The school day will not be extended due to late start (school will end at the regular time). The district hopes that families will use these extra hours in the morning to schedule dentist and doctor appointments and to take care of other matters that can best be addressed in the early morning hours.
Note: The district is currently holding meetings to consider start and end times for all schools. Those times will be posted when they are determined.
A note to JCPS personnel: It is crucial to the success of the calendar, and to late starts in particular, that this time is used effectively and efficiently. All qualitative data collected from staff reveals the continued request for more time to work collaboratively in buildings, by content areas, and across the district. Input will be gathered this spring to develop a clear focus and structured plan for these days.
