Following Virginia Beach’s first time starting school before Labor Day, VBCPS has again asked families, staff and community members for their opinion through a survey which the school board will take into consideration while determining next year’s schedule.
The survey asks respondents to vote on four possible schedule options for the 2024-25 school year, two starting before Labor Day and two after. All of the options meet the parameters the school calendar must follow, like a requirement of 180 instructional school days while observing holidays and contracted staff days, and scheduling consistent days within quarters.
Both Pre-Labor Day options begin the school year for students on Monday, Aug. 26, with school closed on the Friday and Monday around Labor Day weekend.
Option 1 of the Pre-Labor Day start ends school a week earlier than Option 2, the last day for students being June 6, while sacrificing four staff days throughout the year. Also, the last week of school under the first option is a full week of school, whereas high school students usually have a week of adjusted dismissal days. High school graduations also will not occur until the following week after school lets out, from June 10-14.
Option 2 of the Pre-Labor Day start is essentially the same schedule as the current 2023-24 school year, starting earlier than has been the norm and ending the second week of June, but with more staff days throughout the year compared to previous post-Labor Day start years.
The Post-Labor day start options begin school for students on Tuesday, Sep. 3, and end after the second week of June, a structure similar to the previous schedules from years past. The only difference between Option 1 and 2 for the Post-Labor Day schedules though is the placement of adjusted dismissal days. Option 1 places adjusted dismissal days before holiday breaks and at the end of quarters, having one of these days before Winter Break and the end of the second and third quarters. Option 2 places these days on Thursday, Oct. 3, and Friday, March 14, not near any holidays or staff days.
In a video made by VBCPS explaining the school calendar, Chief Schools Officer Matthew Delaney emphasized the fact that the survey provides data that is considered while formulating the calendar, not a direct election. “They are not voting for the most popular calendar and then we take that vote and then implement it,” he explained. “It is a data point.”
The survey can be found here and is open until 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11.
