School board adopts year-round calendar, suggests delaying implementation to 2025-26

Member Kay Abbitt speaks about year-round schools on April 16

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At tonight’s School Board of Alachua County meeting, the board voted to adopt the year-round calendar that has four-day weeks in July but also instructed the Superintendent to ask the State whether the district can delay the year-round program to the 2025-26 school year.

Superintendent Shane Andrew offered two year-round calendars to the board for Metcalfe and Rawlings elementary schools: one was the original calendar that had four-day weeks in July, and the second had five-day weeks in July. The calendars were discussed last week at a workshop.

Although the Superintendent recommended that the Board adopt the original calendar with four-day weeks in July, Member Tina Certain made a motion to adopt the calendar with five-day weeks. Member Kay Abbitt seconded the motion.

During public comment, several teachers and staff from the year-round schools expressed concern about the calendar and requested a stipend for teachers and staff. Several people said they were under the impression that a stipend would be discussed, but the Board never discussed it.

After public comment, both Abbitt and Member Sarah Rockwell said they support year-round schools, but they were concerned that things are moving too fast. Abbitt asked whether the Florida Department of Education would let the district delay implementation of the pilot program for a year, and Andrew said he could ask.

Member Leanetta McNealy said she was confident the pilot program could work and that she “believed in” the teachers and staff, but Certain said the district had not put enough effort into contacting the families zoned for those schools. She said it would not be unrealistic to postpone the program by a year.

Rockwell told the teachers and staff in the room, “I believe in you, but I also believe you… We’re out of time.” She said it was “imperative” that the district ask the State to delay the program.

Abbitt suggested voting on a calendar “because we need a calendar,” but she also supported asking the State to delay the program.

Chair Diyonne McGraw said that if they move forward for the 2024-25 school year, there needs to be a week-by-week plan from now until July to be ready for the new school year.

Several members suggested voting down the motion to approve the five-day calendar so they could switch to the four-day calendar in response to public comment, so that motion failed 1-4, with Certain voting in favor of her motion.

Rockwell made a motion to adopt the four-day calendar, and McNealy seconded the motion. That motion passed 4-1, with Certain in dissent. No motion was made to ask the State to postpone the program, but Certain confirmed that it was “understood” that Andrew would make the request.

  • This year round school sounds good on paper. But reality is gonna hit hard when the summer comes around and these parents and kid see others enjoying their time off. Increased Absenteeism is bound to happen during these summer months. I’d vote for the 4 day weeks in July just to lighten the load for parents and kids.

  • Hope they took into account the higher electric usage, GRU bills costs. But if it leads to less juvenile delinquents, it could pay off overall.

  • Ever see that twilight zone episode where the woman was beautiful and wanted an operation because she thought she was ugly? The hospital people took off their masks and they all had pig noses… this one has her face diaper match her jacket!

    What did she do before the big lie?

  • As the back-Ward Mayor of Gville I must use my veto power and override this year around schooling. My fear is these children may actually stay out of trouble and become smarter. Everybody knows it is much easier to rule over the masses if people are dumb. This is why we have continued to rule over Gville so easily. We have run GRU into the ground while telling our citizens it is for the best and we call our city “Tree City USA” yet we cut down trees and burn them for power. Listen, for folks like me to continue to rule it requires our citizens to remain dumb.

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