The Springdale School Board voted 4-0 to approve revisions to the district Inclement Weather policy at a special meeting Jan. 24, allowing for revisions to the current academic school calendar.
"This update was necessary to address lost instruction time for students," said Dr. Jared Cleveland, Springdale Public Schools superintendent, in a note to staff and families. "Thank you for supporting this needed policy adjustment."
"We will alter the academic calendar to incorporate Feb. 2 and Feb. 19 as student instruction days," Cleveland said Jan. 26.
Decisions on the 2023-24 academic calendar revisions were made by considering using remaining teacher professional development and/or flex days, conducting school on select Saturdays or using the first two days of spring break.
More than 2,000 classified and certified district staff members participated in a survey through Jan. 24 to provide district administrators with feedback on their preferences concerning academic calendar updates. Responses consisted of 74% from certified personnel and 26% from classified staff.
Administrators said 88% of survey respondents replied they would prefer to use the professional development day of Friday, Feb. 2 as an instructional day, while 68% of respondents would like to use the Monday, Feb. 19 flex day as an instructional day.
"We want to thank you for your patience and understanding regarding the ICA policy update," Cleveland said.
The Inclement Weather policy was first approved Jan. 14, 1986, and was last revised May 10, 2011.
Board members Clinton Bell, Michelle Cook and Eddie Ramos were not in attendance.
