Rumor Mill-4960

Published January 12, 2012

The purpose of this section is to answer any questions parents, teachers or community members might have regarding the school district and to set the record straight in regards to any rumors that might be circulating.  If you have a question or have heard a rumor that you would like for us to address, simply SEND US your questions and we will respond to them in upcoming issues of IN FOCUS.  Below are some of the questions we received since our last newsletter.

What is the reasoning behind WSC starting back to school so early in August?  Has the school board considered starting later in the month as a possible way to save money on the cost of air conditioning the schools and buses?  August is one of the hottest months here.  If we started later in the month, it could cut down on the amount of days the schools and buses have to be air conditioned.

A number of factors are considered when developing the school calendar.  The district tries to balance the number of days in each semester with the understanding that inclement weather days typically occur in the second semester.  In addition, with the high stakes testing, the district tries to get in as many days of instruction prior to that testing.  Next year, the TCAP testing window will be April 26 through May 3.  Another consideration at the high school level is making sure the semester exams are given prior to Winter Holiday.  With the 2012-13 calendar, there is an election day in the first semester which took away a day of instruction.  In addition, the district tries to end the year prior to the Memorial Day Holiday.