Calendars

Can the first day of school be Wednesday (as it has been in the past) rather than Thursday?

•  If students begin 1 day earlier (on Wednesday), staff would be required to return on Friday, July 31 or work one of the designated holidays (teachers are contractually required to work 183 days).

Will WSISD move to a 4-day week?

• District officials and the District Planning Committee consider the possibility of a four-day work week every year during the calendar development process. They carefully consider: 

• The economic impact on working families

• The effect on students who rely on school-provided meals. Nearly 60 percent of WSISD families are classified as low socioeconomic. The district remains committed to supporting students and families and prioritizes decisions that best meet their needs.

How many inclement weather days are included, and will students have to make them up?

• The calendar includes flexibility to cover five weather-related closure days.
• Two additional inclement weather days are designated on the calendar.

If no more than five inclement weather days are used, the two designated inclement weather days will become holidays for students and staff.

Can the Monday after Easter (March 29) be a holiday?

• In 2027, March includes Spring Break and Good Friday. District Planning Committee members determined it would be more beneficial to place a holiday in another month to better distribute time off throughout the year.  

Can we add a holiday in April?

• The STAAR/End of Course exam testing window is April 5 through 29. The academic calendar is developed with student academic success as the top priority; therefore, additional holidays are not scheduled during this important time of year. 

When developing the proposed calendar, factors the District Planning Committee considers:

- What is best for student instruction?
- The state requires all students to attend school for 75,600 minutes annually.
- Teachers must work 183 days per school year.
- The first semester should end prior to Christmas Break to ensure that secondary students may take final exams prior to the holidays.
- Staff Development Days are placed strategically throughout the school year to ensure that instructional staff has appropriate time for professional development and instructional planning.
- Two inclement weather make up days must be built into the calendar.