Update: WCSD extends school summer vacation to 9 weeks, reduces winter break

Siobhan McAndrew | Reno Gazette-Journal

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Update, 8:00 a.m. Wednesday:

The Washoe County school board on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to extend summer to 67 days and reduce winter break by one week, following a plan recommended by Superintendent Traci Davis.

Original story:

Washoe County School District Superintendent Traci Davis will recommend a week longer summer break and a shorter winter break.

The possible calendar change comes a month after the district asked for public comment on its academic calendar. The calendar options will be discussed at a 2 p.m. school board meeting Tuesday.

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The district's current calendar, which currently is a few weeks into its seven week-four day summer vacation, was least favored by the more than 17,000 who responded to the survey. The current calendar, one already approved for the 2018-19 school year, has a week off in October, three weeks off in December into January and two weeks off for spring break.

WCSD considers bringing back the traditional summer vacation

The district asked parents, students, community members and staff for feedback on three other options, including an option that removed the fall break, reduced the winter break and had a school start date of Sept. 3.

The option where school starts after Labor Day appears to be one that won't be considered by the district in documents released ahead of the board meeting.

Also, the option for a 10-week summer break is being considered but is not the top recommendation because it means more learning loss with a longer break, according to documents.

Davis will recommend an option that keeps the fall break in October, reduces winter break by one week and keeps a two-week spring break. School would start on Aug. 13 and end on June 5.

The current calendar was a move made under former Superintendent Heath Morrison, who pushed the idea to lessen the learning loss over a longer summer break.

The school board, which at the time unanimously approved the new calendar, said the new schedule was part of the district's reform agenda.

The district is expected to cite at Tuesday's meeting research that shows a gap of more than eight weeks is harmful to kids and that there is no research that shows a long summer break is good for kids.

Washoe County School Board President Katy Simon Holland said the survey was done in response to the public and hearing concerns from teachers and students including those who needed to work over the summer.

The options the district asked about in its survey:

Option A was least liked by those who took the survey: This is the district's current school calendar with a week fall break in October, three weeks over winter in December-January, two weeks for spring break in March and April. School starts on Aug. 12 and ends for the year on June 12. Summer break would be 60 days.

Option B is being recommended by Davis: This schedule reduces the winter break by one week. The remaining schedule stays the same including a one-week fall break in October and a two-week spring break. School starts on Aug. 12 and ends for the year on June 5. Summer break would be 67 days.

Option C was the most favored option in the survey : This schedule reduces the current winter break by one week and spring break by one week. School would start on Aug. 12 and ends for the school year on May 29. Summer break would be 70 days.

Option D is not listed as an option to be considered by the board: This calendar eliminates the fall break, reduces winter break to two weeks and spring break to one week. School would start on Sept. 3 and end for the school year on June 16. Summer break would be 76 days.