Parents, Students, Teachers, Staff:

I want to outline the timeline and details for the 2023-2024 Calendar Planning & Decision Process. Please see below:

1. On March 8th at 4:30 pm, DEIC met to review calendar drafts and propose options. The options are attached, however please review them after reading through the details outlined below in order to put the attached options into context.
   
   
2. On the Monday, March 20th Professional Development Day at 7:30 am, I will meet with all staff/teachers in the Dome to review the attached calendar options that DEIC recommended. During that time we will answer questions that are emailed or asked from now until then. You may email me individually and I will collect all questions to create a Q & A for everyone. (Make sure to read the list of Q&A’s below that we have already started.)
   
   
3. On Thursday, March 23rd at 5:30 pm, we will host a Town Hall meeting to discuss calendar options with parent/community members/staff/teachers. We will begin publicizing the Town Hall meeting starting today on robocalls, social media, newspaper, email, etc. I have invited several community agencies that are ready to support us by offering activities for students if KISD decides to proceed with Calendar Option 3 which is a 4.5 Day-Week Calendar (four and a half days) (We have invited agencies such as: the Boys & Girls Club, City Park & Rec, Kingsway Church, Lil Oscar Cantu Boxing; if you know of others I can contact please send me their names.).
   
   
4. Immediately after the Town Hall meeting on Thursday, March 23rd, we will post a survey on our website for students, parents, teachers, and staff to vote on one of the calendar options. The survey will be live for 10 calendar days with repeated reminders via robocalls, social media, etc.
   
   
5. On Tuesday, April 4th, we will take the 2023-2024 Calendar recommendation to the board at a Special meeting which will be held at 5:30 pm.
   
   
   

1. Question- What do the colors on the boxes of each calendar option refer to?
   Answer- The bottom left side of each calendar option has a Legend that explains what each color refers to.
   
   
2. Question- On Option 1 and Option 2, what are some of the main differences from this school year’s calendar?
   Answer- Beginning of the School Year and the End of the School Year are earlier. Christmas and New Year’s holidays are also different from this year’s calendar.
   
   
3. Question- On Option 3 (the 4.5 day calendar) does that mean that ALL employees are released half-days on Fridays?
   Answer- Yes
   
   
4. Question- On Option 3 (4.5 day calendar) will any employees get their salary or pay or contract reduced because of the 4.5 day calendar?
   Answer- NO salary and NO pay will be reduced.  NO contracts are affected. The minutes of the normal required work will be condensed into the 4.5 days. Mondays through Thursdays will have more minutes to offset the half-day Fridays. The School Start and End Times and the Teacher Work Hours are in the legend boxes on the bottom right hand side of the attached calendars.
   
   
5. Question- On Option 3, on Fridays, what is the difference between the blues, oranges, yellows?
   Answer-  The Blue means that all students are invited to school in the mornings until noon (release times staggered by elementary and secondary campuses). These mornings will be used for Required-Interventions, Required Credit Recovery,  Enrichment, Club meetings, UIL Academic meetings, Athletic meetings, College Visits, Field Trips, Pep Rallies, Learn a new skill/hobby, Participate in Career Internships, etc.  Activities for these mornings will be strategically coordinated by district and campus leaders and all students will be invited.  Yellow means that NO students attend on those mornings. It’s a teacher/staff Workday on those mornings.  Orange means that NO students attend those mornings. It’s a Professional Development morning for teachers/staff on those mornings.
   
   
6. Question- On Option 3, will student-transportation be provided on the Blue Friday morning half-days?
   Answer- Yes
   
   
7. Question- On Option 3, will students be fed lunch before they leave on the Blue Friday morning half-days?
   Answer- Yes.
   
   
8. Question- On Option 3, when students are released on Friday after lunch, will there be activities for students to participate in since all staff/teachers will be off?
   Answer- Several Community Agencies will be attending the Town Hall meeting on March 23rd to discuss some of the activities that they are planning to have available for students if parents are interested in signing up their children. At that time, parents will have the opportunity to ask the agencies details about the activities they will be offering.
   
   
9. Question- On Option 3, will UIL rules be affected?
   Answer- No UIL rules will be affected. The Athletic Director and Fine Arts Director will ensure that all UIL rules will be followed.
   
   
10. Question- What are the pink colored “Wellness” Days?
    Answer- All employees and students are off those days. It is a time for employees and students to rest and take care of themselves (mental and physical wellness).
    
    
11. Question- Will Brahma Time happen Monday-Thursday? Or will it be done on Friday mornings when students are invited to attend?
    Answer- Brahma Time will still occur Monday-Thursday, however the length of time will be adjusted.
    
    
12. Question- If I have a cruise scheduled for the first couple of days of Professional Development, will I have to use my personal leave?
    Answer- Yes, it would be just like any other absence that occurs during a Professional Development Day.
    
    
13. Question- Will our annual salary or pay be reduced with any of the Calendar Options?
    Answer- Please refer to question/answer #4 listed above. No salaries and No pay will be reduced due to any of the calendar options.
    
    
14. Question- Since we will be starting two weeks earlier (July 24th) will we be working more days?
    Answer- No, we will not be working more days. The two weeks in July will be offset because we will be finishing a week earlier (before Memorial Day) and the other week will be replaced with the Wellness Fridays that we have off throughout the year. Previously, we ended June 2nd; with Option 3 we will end in May before Memorial Day.
    
    
15. Question- Will we receive a pay-out in August?
    Answer- No, because KISD follows the TRS Guidelines: “The TRS Plan Year is from September through August. TRS Employer-Districts follow the September through August fiscal year no matter which type of instructional calendar that a school district chooses.” You may refer to TRS Guidelines at www.trs.texas.gov The KISD pay cycle will NOT change no matter which calendar we choose because we have been and will continue to follow the TRS Plan Year.
    
    
16. Question- On the draft of Option 3, can the school start times remain the same as this year instead of being moved ten minutes later and then we can move the school end times to ten minutes earlier? For example can Elementary start at 7:30 and end at 3:55? Middle School start 7:50 and end at 4:15?  High School start 8:10 and end at 4:35?
    Answer- DEIC can review this suggestion and consider revising it. DEIC members were sent this question yesterday. Members who responded as of today are in favor of revising the school start and end times of the Option 3 calendar to the times suggested. Calendar Option 3 school start and end times have been revised according to the recommendations listed above. (See attachment.)
    
    
17. Question- On Option 3, does Project KEEP have to occur on October 13th Workday?
    Answer- Project KEEP is defined as teacher-parent conferences. Teachers will have the flexibility to schedule the “KEEP” Parent Conferences anytime in September and October or on October 13th.
    
    
18. Question- Will any possible pay increases for staff be affected by choosing Option 3?
    Answer- No; calendar Option 3 will not affect any possible pay increases. No matter which calendar option that is chosen, the possibility of any pay increases is not dependent upon any of the calendars that are chosen.  Recommendations for pay increases are mainly based on TASB studies.
    
    
19. Question- Will summer band, volleyball, football summer trainings be affected by choosing Calendar Option 3?
    Answer- The Athletic Director and the Band Director have participated in the reviews of all calendar options and have confirmed that all of the summer sports and band activities will still occur. They will be available at the Town Hall meeting so parents can meet with them as well for any further questions pertaining to these programs.
    
    

20. Question- For CTE teachers who do not teach CORE classes and who will not be tutoring or providing interventions, what will those teachers do on Friday mornings?

    Answer- Campus Leaders and District Leaders will be working together to plan enrichment opportunities for students to be encouraged to attend on Fridays, such as Health/Science students can participate in community service volunteer projects by going out to the community to conduct Health Fairs and they can voluntarily check people’s vital signs such as blood pressure/oxygen/temperature, etc.  FFA students can work on their FFA projects, etc.
    
    

21. Question- Will UIL stipends be affected with any of the calendar options?

    Answer- No UIL stipends or any stipends will be affected because of any of the calendar options. The UIL coaches and everyone else are still required to work the same number of minutes/contract days required as with any other calendar.
    
    

22. Question- Are Special Education students included on the Friday morning sessions? Can they make up any services on Friday that they miss during the regular week when they attend during the Friday morning sessions?

    Answer-  YES, all students, including Special Education students are included during Friday morning sessions. The Friday morning sessions are intended for interventions, credit recovery, and any other type of make-up sessions that a student needs.
    
    

23. Question- On Option 3, Mondays through Thursdays will be a little longer day. What will be done to keep students engaged or awake after 2:00?

    Answer- Campus Leaders and District Leaders will be reviewing the daily schedules to ensure activities are included to break up the day such as Recess; Brahma-Time; etc.
    
    

24. Question- Can the Town Hall meeting be live streamed on YouTube like we do for board meetings.

    Answer- Yes, the Town Hall meeting will be live streamed.
    
    

25. Question- What will kids do on Fridays when they are off?

    Answer- Please refer to item #8.
    
    

26. Question- Why were these options not presented at the beginning of this school year?

    Answer- KISD was not eligible to become a District of Innovation until March 7, 2023, therefore the DEIC committee could not create and finalize calendar draft options until this month.
    
    

27. Question- On Option 3, since Mondays – Thursdays are ending a little later will faculty meetings be held on Fridays instead of during the regular week?

    Answer- Yes, the goal is for faculty meetings, principal meetings, counselor meetings to be held on Friday mornings.
    
    

28. Question- Can Pep Rallies occur on Thursday afternoons too?

    Answer- Yes, HMK will plan Pep Rallies for a time that best suits the majority of the students at HMK. We’ve got spirit!!