School Board approves new calendar for 2020-21 with extended days

At its meeting Monday night, the Pulaski County School Board voted to approve a new school calendar for the 2020-2021 school year.

The calendar, approved on a 4-1 vote, features a post-Labor Day opening, an extended school day and a May 27 last day of school.

Board members Dr. Paige Cash, Timmy Hurst, Bill Benson and Penny Golden voted for the new calendar, while Massie District representative Beckie Cox voted against.

The approved calendar represents a change for the school district from a traditional 180-day calendar to an hourly calendar.

The state allows school divisions to select either calendar, as long as the minimum requirements of 180 days or 990 hours are met. The calendar approved Monday night provides 1,076 instructional hours.

The first day of school next year will be September 8, 2020 and school will end May 27, 2021.

To achieve that schedule, school days will be extended.

Elementary school days will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3:15 p.m., while middle and high school hours will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The teacher workday will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with Thursdays ending at 5 p.m.

Patriot Staff Report