CHOOSING THE RIGHT CALENDAR FOR UPLAND STUDENTS

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT CALENDAR FOR UPLAND STUDENTS

• Academic Year Calendar
• Proposal for the
• 2009-2010 School Year
• Town Hall Meetings
• March 19 and 24th

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What is an Academic Year Calendar?

• Start of school Mid August
• End of first semester prior to Winter Break
• Spring Break falls at the end of 3rd Quarter
• End of school Before Memorial Day

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• CURRENT CALENDAR
• 2008-2009
• Students start school Monday, August 25
• School in session three days during Thanksgiving
  Week
• Winter Recess is two weeks
• Spring Break is one week
• School ends on Friday, June 5 (earlier than in
  past years)

• CHAFFEY EXAMPLE
• 2009-2010
• Students start school Monday, August 10
• Schools could have vacation during Thanksgiving
  Week
• Winter Recess is two weeks
• Spring Break is one week
• School ends on Friday, May 28 (prior to Memorial
  Day)

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TWO ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• Which school year calendar best supports student
  learning and continuity of the instructional
  program?
• Which school year calendar will be best supported
  by UUSD families and employees?

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Why consider a change to an academic year
calendar?

• Continuity of the instructional program
• Finals will be scheduled before Winter Recess at
  the high school, maintaining instructional
  momentum and not wasting time with Jan. review
• Provides extra weeks of instruction prior to
  annual CAHSEE testing in March
• Provides additional instructional time to prepare
  for Advanced Placement (AP) exams
• Avoids down time in June
• Ending prior to Memorial Day allows more family
  time for graduates who report to college in
  August

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Why consider a change to an academic year
calendar?

• Alignment of the UUSD calendar with neighboring
  districts allows families to schedule vacations
  without missing school or work. This is an
  advantage instructionally and fiscally. The
  following districts have adopted Academic Year
  Calendars that start in 2009-2010
• Chaffey Joint Union High School District
• Alta Loma School District
• Etiwanda School District
• Central School District
• Fontana Unified School District
• Ontario Montclair School District
• How will an earlier start impact other families
  that are NOT affected by these constraints but
  may have other conflicts?

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How many families could this affect?

• There are currently 256 UUSD employees who reside
  in neighboring districts that are moving to an
  academic calendar.
• There are more than 850 employees of these
  neighboring districts who reside within UUSD
  boundaries.
• Total 1,106 households

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What are the fiscal implications?

• While its impossible to predict with certainty,
  we do know that
• A drop in district-wide average daily attendance
  of just 1 percent would result in more than
  650,000 in lost income as well as missed
  learning opportunities.
• Employee absences lead to increased expenses
  (i.e. substitute teachers) - and also a drop in
  productivity and supervision.

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What concerns have been expressed about moving to
an academic year?

• Some families and employees traditionally
  schedule vacations during the last two weeks of
  August
• It is too hot for students at that time of year,
  so
• Utility bills will be too high, and
• Student learning will be adversely affected
• It will interfere with CIF league schedules
• The first summer of implementation will be too
  short
• The calendar has clear advantages for high school
  students, not as many for elementary/junior high
• This will conflict with other youth summer
  activities (church, parks and recreation, youth
  leagues, etc.)
• K students will be 3 weeks younger when school
  starts
• Possible increase in absences due to families who
  wont send students to school in August

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CALENDAR IMPLICATIONS

• Some families and employees traditionally take
  vacations during the last two weeks of August
• Would have an adverse impact on attendance unless
  families shifted plans to other dates. Potential
  fiscal impact on families and employees with time
  shares.
• It will interfere with CIF league schedules
• Other schools in our league have already made the
  shift no adverse impact is predicted.
• The first summer of implementation will be too
  short
• The first summer of implementation will be
  shorter than typical, somewhat abated by
  compacting the current 2008-09 calendar so that
  the last day is June 5.

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CALENDAR IMPLICATIONS

• The calendar has clear advantages for high school
  students, not as many for elementary/junior high
• The academic year calendar initially benefits
  secondary more than elementary. However, one
  thing is certain. One-hundred percent of our
  students will derive the benefit of the academic
  year calendar during the crucial last four years
  of his/her academic career.
• This will conflict with other youth summer
  activities (church, parks and recreation, youth
  leagues, etc.)
• Dialog has already been initiated with the City
  and, with one years advance notice, there will
  be time to notify youth organizations, church
  groups, and child care agencies prior to
  implementation.

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WEATHER IMPLICATIONS

• The air quality is worse during the proposed
  calendar window
• Facts from the AQMD
• Using a 3-year window of comparison, the
  differences between August 27-June 11 and August
  10-May 28
• The current calendar actually had one MORE Health
  Advisory (150 ppb) for air quality when compared
  to the proposed earlier start calendar.
• If you increase the standard for air quality up
  to (.95 ppb) the current calendar year was
  actually cleaner by 4 days.
• Kevin Durkee, Air Quality Specialist - South
  Coast AQMD

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WEATHER IMPLICATIONS

• It is too hot during the proposed calendar window
  (using 20 year summary data)
• The average maximum temperature for June is 81.4
  degrees and August is 89.4 as recorded by the
  Western Regional Climate Center at Claremont
  College.
• The average maximum temperature in June is 86
  degrees (record high of 114 degrees), and August
  is 92 degrees (record high of 114) as recorded by
  Ontario International Airport meteorological
  climate summary.
• Kevin Durkee, Air Quality Specialist - South
  Coast AQMD

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WEATHER IMPLICATIONS

• Utility bills will be too high
• Again, a tough one to predict. HVAC systems
  typically run at reduced levels during both June
  and August as schools are readied for closing and
  opening. However, the Business Department
  predicts an increase of at least 70,000 in
  utility costs if the proposed calendar is
  enacted.
• Safety and Wellness Standards
• It will be necessary to actively communicate and
  enforce air quality and temperature activity
  restrictions with either calendar. The fact that
  our classrooms and buildings are air conditioned
  could actually provide a healthier environment
  than some students would experience at home or in
  the community.

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Getting the Word OutMarch April

• Town Hall Meetings scheduled
• Pioneer JHS Wednesday, March 19 7 p.m.
• Upland JHS Monday, March 24 7 p.m.
• District web site www.upland.k12.ca.us
• Press Releases/In Touch publications
• Ongoing meetings with Upland Council PTA and
  Employee Associations
• Letters to youth and civic groups
• Board of Education Meetings

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MOVING TO A DECISION

• It is staffs intention to bring a recommendation
  to the Board of Education prior to the end of the
  current school year in order to adopt a calendar
  for the 2009-2010 school year.
• This will provide families, youth organizations,
  churches, employees, and child care
  agencies with one years notice to plan and
  adjust to any change in the school year
  calendar.

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OTHER IMPLICATIONS?

• Opportunities
• Challenges
• Questions

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