Sparked by a debate by parents, faculty and members of the school board in late August and September 2011, the Emporia Public Schools board of education approved 6-1 a motion to replace the already adopted 2012-2013 calendar. Susan Brinkman was the lone objector.
The preceding 2012-13 calendar was adopted in April 2011.
The newly approved 2012-2013 calendar will shorten the school day to 6 hours and 45 minutes, not including the lunch period.
“It’s not set in concrete yet but the starting and ending times are going to be for elementary right around 8:30 a.m. start time, dismissal time around 4 p.m.,” said Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Brian Jordan. “Middle and high school will be starting about the same time as it does right now, dismissing about 3:10 p.m. Middle school will be a little before that with a 7:35 a.m. start time and dismissal around 3:10 p.m., 3:20 p.m., somewhere in there.”
The new calendar will add six days to the school year from the previously adopted calendar. There will be 168 days instead of 162 with the first day of school being Aug. 22 for kindergarten through 12th-grade students and Aug. 21 for Jump Start students. The school year will end May 21, 2013.
In response to discussions from the Aug. 24 Emporia Public Schools Board of Education meeting, a room full of citizens attended an Sept. 14, 2011, board meeting to share their concerns about possible start and stop times for elementary school students in 2012-13.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, six parents expressed their opinions against a 9 a.m. to 4:30 or 4:40 p.m. school day for elementary school students. Each comment was supported by standing ovations from most of the crowd.
Connie Coleman suggested reopening the vote on the calendar and attaching the start and stop times.
“If the times would have been on the calendar last year, I know I wouldn’t have voted for it,” said Coleman.
Most of the parents were concerned with the length of time a portion of elementary school students spend at school before instruction time and were not in favor of a later stop time.
“I am very concerned about the kids arriving at the elementary buildings at 7:30 a.m. and not starting school until 9 a.m.,” said Laurie Kurzen. “I’m concerned about the longevity of kids arriving that early and instruction time not starting until 9 a.m.”
She continued, “I am also concerned, as a parent and a teacher, of the instructional time not ending until possibly 4:30 p.m. or 4:40 p.m. Our kids are often shut down by 3 p.m. It’s really hard to have a very instructional climate in math and reading and our core subjects.”
“Having the school day until 4 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. — that’s just unthinkable in my opinion,” said Lori Tabares. “Little children are done very early in the day, sometimes as early as 2:30 p.m., and to get them motivated, no matter how fun you try to make a lesson, you still have some of your children who are not wanting to learn at that time.”
“The school that my children are at now, they have a.m. care.” said Stephanie Thomas. “There is between 170 and 200 children there, starting at 7:30 a.m. and they’re not seeing a classroom until 9 a.m. They could be in the classroom learning and out enjoying their afternoon like little kids should be doing.”
There were more public comments in the Sept. 28, 2011, board of education meeting and a motion for the Learning Opportunities Planning Committee to take another look at the 2012-2013 calendar was passed.
• The board of education also approved a district improvement plan. There are four goals included in the improvement plan. They include:
Maintain a plan that consistently moves every student to read on or above grade level by end of third grade, and monitor and support a plan of action that will maintain or improve that level of excellence at subsequent grade levels while effectively supporting students not reading at grade level.
Improve and assure an effective culture for learning with all students, parents, staff and community members.
Rank consistently in the top quartile of Kansas and national school districts within the next five years for students prepared to be college and career ready.
Maintain and enhance strategic planning to effectively use fiscal, human and community resources.
• Also approved was summer school dates and schedules. In 2012, kindergarten through 8th-grade summer school will be offered as three two-week sessions. The first session will be June 4 to June 14. The second will be June 18 to June 28. The third will be July 16 to July 26. High school summer school will be offered the first four weeks of June. Approximately 85 teachers will need to be hired to serve about 800 students.