Why doesn’t Leander ISD increase instructional minutes to shorten the academic calendar?
Overview
The 84th Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 2610 to amend the Texas Education Code (TEC), §25.081, converting the requirement for 180 days of instruction to a minimum of 75,600 minutes.
The change gives school districts flexibility in cases of natural disasters, as well as flexibility to adjust calendars to build in professional development. LISD banks additional minutes to grant flexibility for inclement weather; however, the district prioritizes the instructional day due to the overall impact on student development and family support.
Rationale
LISD’s valuing of school days over total minutes is based on the educational experience of our leadership team. This includes decades of combined service as classroom teachers and school administrators. Based on that experience working with students, LISD believes the benefit of coming to school for an entire day is greater than adding 5 or 10 additional minutes to each day.
While some families provide fantastic learning opportunities for children even when they are not in school, that is not the case for every family. When in school, EVERY child can access books, social interaction, a highly trained adult who can guide instruction and the countless additional services schools provide.
We know there is no perfect solution for every family when it comes to the school calendar. We appreciate the different ways parents work around inconveniences so that we can continue to provide a tremendous education to ALL students.
