2024-2026 Calendar Survey Results - January 8, 2024 - DCSD Board Meeting Archive

2024-2026 Calendar Survey Summary
Results and Analysis

Option A: 68%

Option B: 32%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2
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Select your calendar option preference for the 2025-2026 SY.
(N = 6,319)

Option A: 68%

Option B: 32%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

3
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Select the stakeholder group that best represents your relationship with DeKalb County School District.
(N = 6,319)
Certified Staff (teacher, counselor, media specialist, etc...) 48%

Educational Support Specialist (para-professional) 5%

School-based Staff 7%

Administrator 3%

Parent/Guardian 23%

Community Member 1%

District-based Staff 3%

Elementary School Student 2%

Middle School Student 2%

High School Student 5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2847
2628 2618
2409
2190
1971
1752
1533
1314
1095 1057
876
657 620
438 411 445
311 349
219
155 148 93
0 45 63 4

5
© 2024
Report Title: 2024-2025 Calendar Survey
Survey Title: Calendar Survey for 2024 - 2026 SY
Report Type: Verbatim Language: All

Completed: 6,319
Filtered Responses: 6,319

Q5. Please share any additional comments or questions you have about the calendar options. (Response Text)
Note: The comments are recorded as submitted by the stakeholder.

We need breaks the second half of the school year. It is really hard on the students not to have days off.
Options pertaining a week long fall break would be appreciated
District employees should be considered for more break days as well. We get burnt out too.
Thank you for hearing the students silent but loud voices.
Can we go back to having half days at the end of the semester to limit the exams students are taking each day and
allowing teachers to complete grading before the break?
I have worked on a similar calendar to choice A in another district and the more frequent, week long breaks, help to
refresh students and help to allow teachers to do some basic things that will help cut down on subs.
Having the weeks off for October and February are such a GREAT idea. The teachers and the students appreciate the
breaks.
We should have week long fall and winter breaks like other counties.
The school day is very disruptive when we remove the fall and winter breaks
I think we should forego the February winter break because the students need to focus on the EOC/EOG assessments
Virtual days are worthless.. It adds meaningless days to the school year and makes more work for the teachers and
students.
Please allow us to have actual breaks for each season, not just 1 day. This will help with the moral and giving us mental
breaks to be able to properly deal with day to day activities inside the school.
I think calendar option A is the better choice because it has a whole week in Feb. I don't care about getting out of school
before Memorial Day. A lengthy break in Feb. is much better than getting out before Memorial Day. Option A better
reflects current trends in other districts.
Head Counselors should be changed from 213 days to 200 days.
Staff should not return the day after New Year’s Day, for the 2024 school year; the beginning of the new semester should
be extended
Why would we have a teacher work day on Jan 3, two fridays after Christmas break starts for both school years? That
should probably say Monday... not friday. That cuts a full day out of the Christmas break. Please reconsider.
The district has to be flexible with employees who have children in the district. Please implement flexibility. This is too
much
Please copy GCPS's calendar
I think option A is better for students and staff as it allows for more breaks throughout the school year. Teachers and
students are burnt out by the end of the semester and thus the quality of education goes does from both sides. This allows
ample breaks to be fresh for learning.
On the days that we have final exams can they be half days like most other districts. Students come take 2 exams they
they go home teachers stay to grade and finalize the students grades for the semester.
Thank you for considering a week break, because as a first year teacher is it great mentally for teachers to have a break
from work to perform at their maximum capability.
Could we have a fall break like Cobb at the end of September?
Could 12 month employees have Virtual Workdays like the teachers?
Yes!!!!!!!!!!Finally a Fall and Winter break like other districts for Option "A!"
We could also do like a 2-3 day october and feb break instead of the whole week.. Also can the virtual teaching day be
the last day of those breaks instead of the first day in order to take advantage of the weekend for traveling?
NOBODY wants to go to school after memorial day. The break in February is unnecessary
Start school a week earlier and get out the Friday before Memorial Day.
Please approved this time around a calendar that provides the students and teachers with a fall and winter break. The
students need to regroup between the grading periods. Two weeks will not create a problem for parents to find alterna tive
care during the days missed from school. THanks! I Love DCS
Finally.
Why do we observe Veteran's Day as a holiday?
Can we include conference days as a teacher work day in the future?
Love the mid October extended fall break!
please choose my option which is A
Love the Week breaks in October & February. It is similar to other districts.
Starting school as early as we do is dangerous due to heat. It has crept up to pre-week being in July over the past 20
years. Please re-evaluate what's best for students, not administrators.
Thank you so much for considering giving us a full fall and winter break. It will allow me to spend more time with my
children and family!
The breaks in option A are absolutely necessary to maintain morale. It also aligns with other districts.
Christmas break. Two weeks. Please do not return on a Friday.
Thank you for listening to us and for your trust the professionals that we can get job done during virtual teacher days.
Is it possible to observe Veteran's Day? Also, how will the students receive the survey? It's currently not in their student
emails.
Thank you for considering a full week for fall break and February break. That time off is much needed and appreciated.
It gives us time to rest and recharge and reduces the amount of days staff takes off from work.
My question is why was the December (winter break) changed from the 15th to the 20th? I understand there were
additional days given, but shouldn't we have the option to choose that as well?
We need a fall break and a winter break.
Please consider week-long Fall AND Winter Break, and virtual days for students like other districts have implemented!
Why don't we just move the start week up? This way, we can still be out prior to Memorial Day and still include a Fall
Break (October) and a Winter Break (February). That is how most of the other districts (Rockdale, Cobb, APS, Walton)
are able to have both and still complete the school year by 5/25
What happened to President's Day Holiday in Option A?
More Virtual Days for students
I am a parent and certified employee
Please consider slowly shifting to beginning school after Labor Day so it coincides with the majority of other states. We
couldn't go outside for recess most of August due to extreme heat.
Please include asynchronous days for students throughout the year so that district wide PD on structured literacy(or other
distinct initiatives) can occur within the teachers normal work hours. Teachers do not want to do things after school-even
with pay.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for considering (and hopefully selecting) a "real" and February break! This will
definitely help with morale and retention because many other districts already have this and it is so needed for teachers to
prevent burnout. :)
During the Fall, Winter and Spring break, district-based staff should work virtually due to child care services.
Option A - will stop DSCD from loosing from Teachers and staff members.
Is there not a way to have the winter break shortened by 1 or 2 days so that post-planning occurs the Friday before
Memorial Day?
When working in any of the Title 1 programs, I would like to get paid on time and we need to get rid of all that paper
work that it entails.
Going forward can the last day of school be an early release day?
Could there be early release days , With the option B proposal? if the school ends later can school start back later than
the 4th of August with the option A proposal
Giving students a week off in February is nice, but AP classes would lose instructional time. as the AP Exam dates are
set by College Board. I have the same concern with EOCs and EOGs. I'm not sure that the week off in February is good
for instruction since the state sets the Milestone window.
Consideration should be made with the need to attract and retain teachers. No options considered a teachers desire to
leave for summer prior to Memorial Day. Consideration should have also factored the impact on teachers who live and
have children who attend schools in other districts.
The week for Fall Break seems to be a little delayed. It should be closer to the end of 9 weeks to support the end of each
term.
Thank you for considering a week long winter break and fall break. I also think virtual teacher workdays should be
utilized more often to give staff flexibility. I think both the breaks and virtual teacher PLs will help prevent burn out.
Fall Break should be more than one day...
Thank you so much for be so considerate of employees and parents who live in other counties and work in DeKalb. This
will greatly minimize absences by aligning to the calendars int the metro. Schedule A is a game changer for employees
with small children who pay a lot of money for childcare. Thanks
Why is it that option A gives us an extra week of school?
The Calendar appears to have shorten the summer break. We only have about 7 weeks.
After speaking with many of my students, they would prefer the shorter fall break in October and the longer break in
February. I personally prefer shorter breaks both times and end each semester a couple days earlier. Are these the only
two options or will these other options be considered?
I like the new calendar options this year. They are a huge improvement compared to past options.
I prefer not to begin in July. I would give up a week break to start later and end earlier.
If Option B is selected, then it is absolutely ridiculous to have teachers come back for a post planning day the day after
memorial day. Almost everyone goes out of town and to come back for ONE DAY and mess up vacation and family
plans is ridiculous. Add a day earlier and be done before the holiday
Neither option is good. Noone wants to come back to work in JULY. Start a week later, include a day off in March-the
longest month in teacher life, increase the option B february days by one, so the teachers can get a meaningful day off in
additional to the work day. and end just after Memorial Day
Thank you thank you thank you for including a week in October and February!!!
Thank you for proposing the optional calendar. In my opinion Option A is perfect. This will provide staff a significant
amount of breaks within each semester, cut down on absences, and boost moral.
I believe the Calendar option A will allow for teachers to prioritize their health and well being by having the opportunity
to reset with the longer breaks in between. ll, winter, and spring breaks
We have more breaks after Christmas break, but barely any in Fall. A week of fall break is needed around beginning of
October.
I like the addition of virtual teacher workdays.
Breaks longer than one day will help sustain teachers and students. The October and February breaks or LACK OF in
DEKALB COUNTY are reasons for teachers to not SELECT Dekalb county school district to work. We are tired.
Thank you for considering employees with week long Fall and WInter breaks!
Longer breaks mid-year are only worth the longer SY if they don't coincide with the other districts like our main holidays
and Spring break. That would mean more opportunities to travel without the masses also being out.
Thank you, the 1 week breaks will assist with burn out and fatigue. I would also like to mention that employees also have
children that attend school in this district, sometimes these employees are single parents and will have to arrange care for
children when children are out but staff are at work
Is it possible to have a full week for the fall break like Cobb and other counties?
Thank you for considering that the students & teachers need longer rest breaks during the year. Option A feels very
balanced and shoukd improve lost learning time due to burnout and stress-induced behaviors.
I'm so excited about the upcoming school calendars. I think this could improve staff attendance.
Fall Break - Week Long is Paramount
Will select district level employees have options for remote/virtual days when schools are closed?
Administrators mirroring winter/spring break with certified staff.
I think something to consider would be to shorten the fall break instead of adding days onto the end of the school year. It
doesn't seem necessary to have a whole week off in October when it's so close to Thanksgiving and then the end of the
semester.
Thank you! As an employee and a parent, the Oct. and Feb. breaks are MUCH needed!
Thank you!
None of the options list a break in December over the Christmas holidays. Is that just assumed?
Why is mid- winter break short on 2025-2026 school year?
What is a Virtual Teacher Workday? How will teachers get required professional learning?
An as educator, I spend most of my time at school during the week and I do not get to spend much time at all with my
family. So, I am in favor of Calendar B because it allow us educators some wellness time. It would also allow us to
spend some quality time at home with our own children and families
DeKalb should adapt what some other districts have implemented, utilize one day per month for students to work
virtually, giving teachers a day for paperwork, etc. Also, a small break would be beneficial for students and teachers
during the month of March, which tends to be a very tough month.
I believe that Option A will allow time for teachers and students to take some time refocus and recalibrate. I also believe
that it will positively impact the attendance and discipline for students and teachers.
The addition of the fall and winter breaks help with mental health....thank you
I like the creativity of virtual work days
Please consider DCSD staff with children who attend our DCSD Schools when scheduling Teacher Workdays (staff is
required to report to work; however, students (our children) are not required to attend school and childcare can be a
concern. Thanks.
I like the idea of a true winter break in February to allow for family travel. However, it is nice to get out before Memorial
Day to be able to start summer travel plans.
I just want to say THANK YOU all for rethinking the calendar. This makes it easier to balance work and homelife with
several needed breaks.
Please truly considered the input/date from the persons in the "trenches" daily. Often it is said around school that the
"board will do what they want anyway" and the survey is just a formality. Prove that to be false, please. Consider the
voice of the people.
The main reason I said Option B was because Option A has teachers working on president's day which is a federal
holiday. This feels like a mistake. I would otherwise prefer the setup of A over B.
When students and teachers are out, consider remote working options for 12-month employees
Please stop making 1st semester and 2nd semester have the same number of instructional days, even if this means
pushing final exams into January. It's terrible to start pre-planning in July. Move to a later start in August and push the
last day of school into June.
Please, please give us a much needed week-long October & February break! Teachers and students are BURNT OUT &
need time to refresh. We can afford to get out slightly later in May if it means giving more breaks throughout the year.
Moving the October Break up a week to allow a more space between the two breaks.
Instead of having 4 days after Memorial Day in school - take 2 days away from February Break and 2 days away from
Fall Break. Thanks
Mental Health days should be incorporated and I don't feel the school year should be increased.
I feel that incorporating a REAL fall and winter break for the school employees (teachers, paras, admin, lunch staff,
custodians, etc.) will allow for everyone to reset and combat burnout. The breaks will also possibly encourage more
people to apply for employment in DCSD. Breaks=Less Stress!
If we exted teh break in Feb, Can we ensure the Milestone window is pushed back so teachers do not lose a week of
preparation.
Why are the teachers going back so early. Make the first day for the teachers to go back August 5 and the students come
back on August 12th.
We should NEVER start school right after the first day of the year! We need at least until January 3rd.
Teachers need more workday/planning days and students need more breaks incorporated into the school calendar. This
will increase student morale throughout the district and promote work life balance amongst employees.
The teachers first day should be August 5th.
I do not consider the proposed calendars to have a true "Fall Break" Having 2 days is not a break. Other systems have a
full week which to plan and do family activities. The way DeKalb's schedule looks is absurd.
There are multiple errors on the calendar survey - incorrect dates listed. Please correct and resend.
1 day off is not considered a "Fall Break."
Will the virtual workdays require staff to come to the building or will we be able to work from home?
for option a, seniors won’t graduate until after memorial day which is so late
I hate option A
I don't understand why school still needs to end so late on Option A? What is the hard in making the school year end a
week earlier and giving the kids and teachers a break. That's how it used to be when I was in school
If it’s A I’ll unenrolle
I selected Option B although the extended break in February is needed. My reason for selecting Option B is the number
of instructional days before the Georgia Milestones. Schools on block schedule usually have around 10 fewer
instructional days in the Spring than in the Fall before taking the EOC.
will the virtual workdays be in the building or work from home?
Option B August date are incorrect
Please don't make teachers return in July. The calendar year can shift a week to allow adequate summer breaks with their
families.
This is a great calendar to help retain teachers and align and make working in Dekalb more attractive.
Students will not come back after Memorial Day. For graduating seniors - especially athletes, coming back may interfere
with their reporting to college early..
Why does DCSD continue to start school so early, when the AC does not work and many familys are on vacation
will the virtual workdays be work from home?
To the DCDS Superintendent and all Board Members at large, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Keep up doing the
good Work!
I highly appreciate the people who devised the calendars to embrace not only a week out in October for Fall Break but
also nearly a week out in February as a Winter Break. I will not complain but wished we could obtain in entire week out
in February. Phenomenal Job Done!
School needs to end before Memorial Day! Let the kids enjoy the start of the summer.
Option B is preferable as seniors are able to graduate prior to the memorial day holiday
why did we not have a fall brake this year
Humanization/Empathy- Please consider offering District-based employees the full Spring and Christmas Break.
Thank you for aligning the calendar with the other school systems. The breaks will really give teachers a much needed
break during the semester.
I love it!!
Please allowing us to work from home on virtual days instead of using gas, paying for a sitter just to come in the building
to look at at computer screen. Also, we do not need a week to prepare for the first day of school. 2-3 days will suffice..
I believe replacing the option to get out of school on May 23rd both calendar years poses to be more more beneficial;
they'll be less risk of no shows, call outs, and etcetera amongst allif the last day of schools isn't rolled over into another
week &It'll prevent further scholar an teacher burnout.
So far everything looks great
It is extremely difficult to show up for work everyday in October and February when there are no breaks. This is the 1st
county that I have worked in that does not provide breaks during those months. Thank you so much for considering a
change!
March needs a day. To mitigate student and teacher fatigue and absences, there needs to be a break in the month of
March. March with 31 days and no breaks is the longest month of the school year.
It would be helpful if the fall break corresponded with other counties as some of us live and have children in those
counties
DCSD school teachers and staff NEED to have the same fall, winter and spring breaks as other surrounding districts. We
are tired and exhausted with the previous calendars and the current 2023-2024 calendars. We need full weeks to rest.
Can we consider making the last day of school an early release day for students
The first schedule has teachers coming to work on monday which doesnt make sense to have the rest of the week off. Put
the PD day somewhere else on the schedule and either give us the full week off or dont.
Please allow the Paras to be off when the children are not in school. Professional learning days should be only for
teachers. We only assistant the teachers when the children are at school.
I would like to suggest Oct break be Fri & Mon. Then have the three days allow the students to end before Mem Day
AND we keep Feb break.
The break in October is too long- it was great when it was Thursday-Monday. Easier to get back in the routine with
students.
Staff should be allowed to work from home on virtual learning/ PD days
The break is too long in October making childcare difficult.
Can the Board consider discussing the Spring pre-planning day for schools that are on block schedule? There is not
enough time to plan for new semester students in an 8 hour work day. Thank you.
Why the need for a week long Fall break. Why can we not match the calendar that Gwinnett county schools adopted?
Please mirror Cobb County School System calendar and pay scale.
Will the following school year start date be pushed back a week since we would be ending a week later than in the past?
Attendance will decrease for staff and students. Test scores will increase.
How is a virtual teacher workday measured. PL days usually have a virtual component. A workday means working in
your classroom, preparing for instruction in your setting. Copying, changing bulletin boards, etc. Not sure how this can
be done virtually.
expanded february break is helpful
March is a looooong month for educators. The teachers workday that has been in March was greatly appreciated by
educators.
Thank you for the virtual teacher work day options. Please consider an option where we do not return after Memorial
Day.
As educators we need a brI want to encorage 2 - 4 half days throught the year. Half days on days like the last day of the
semester or spring break are very realxing. That time should not all be used for PLs. We could catch up on
work/fellowship with our coworkers. Thank you and have a blessed day.
Great Calendar choices we should add virtual days/Parent teacher conference days for students as well!
Students should not come back to school after Memorial Day. Check the school calendars for Barrow County and
Walton County
adding in conference days would benefit teacher/parent connection and student progress.
School should end before Memorial Day, also Spring Break should be March 31-April 4
I truly believe that Dekalb should follow a balance calendar consisting of a week off every 6 weeks mirroring Cobb and
Henry and Rockdale counties to better support the students , faculty and staff needs.
Students do not need a week in February - it is too much vacation before Milestones WE NEED TO BE TEACHING
then
Thank you so much for listening to teachers and offering a balanced calendar that is competitive with Cobb.
Why not share same cal as Gwinnett we have kids and spouses . Just makes sense sir.
I really believe the week long break in the winter is good for employee mental health.
Thank you for the week long fall break!!!
Thank you for considering a winter break! Both teachers and students need mental/emotional breaks!
I would appreciate knowing the calendar for multiple years ahead. I also like the idea of more days off during the year
with a fall break and a break in February
THANK YOU for both options! Colleagues from other school districts have shared that behaviors improve (infractions
down) for students when a scheduled week long break is given approximately every 6 weeks. I am grateful and excited to
see these calendar changes coming to DeKalb County Schools!
I believe the students and staff of DCSD will benefit emotionally, mentally, and physically from the additional days out.
I was wondering the proposal for the week of Thanksgiving since it was not listed.
Half-Days would be good to start off holiday breaks.
Feb. 18th is a Sunday in 2024 which we are already off. The break should be from Feb. 19-22 if it is to be a 4 day break
I would also propose a 4-day work week. There is research that shows how the district can save money, students still
perform well because they do not loose any academic time. A county in northwest Ga. did it for years. Other states and
countries are following suit.
The calendar option are reasonable but teachers and administrators are always concerned about the 1 day of professional
learning at the beginning of the year in light of trying to ready schools for open house and the start of the year for
students.
Please approve Option A- you will have less stressed out teachers
Please include early release days on final exam days so that we won't need a full post planning day on May 30. Also, it
doesn't make sense to hold students hostage for 3 hours on final exam day when other districts offer early release on
these dates.
A 4 day work week with asynchronous learning from students on Friday would be great. Teachers would have an
opportunity to grade papers, engage in training, make parent phone calls, do lesson plans, and a host of other duties
teachers to at home, after school, or before school
This school year has been quite difficult due to a lack of time to recharge during a very long semester. This one reason
that I am considering leaving the district.
I would like to first THANK YOU for an option of having a "true fall and winter break". I strongly feel having a week
off in both seasons will cut back on teacher absences and give staff and students a mental break at the right time in order
to relax and push forward until the next mental rest.
The week long breaks for each semester would be very helpful mentally for the staff. When there aren't any breaks in
between, the staff become overwhelmed and the weekends are simply not enough which leads to people taking off. The
weeks off will be a refresher for both staff and students.
I am happy to see we are considering a longer Fall Break for next year. It is VERY NECESSARY for the kids and us.
Thank you! :)
Is it possible to have the last day of school before Memorial Day? This question is for two reasons, one, most students
are already gone on vacation before the last day and two, most students and staff may not report back after Memorial
Day. Just something to consider.
Provide multiple day breaks
I hope this calendar gives us more time to prepare for testing.
non
Hopefully decisions have not already been made and the actual results of this survey will be published for transparency.
Two questions/ comments: 1. Will the pre-planning workdays be virtual? Can those be Face-to-Face? and 2. For the
second semester, can one of the two virtual workdays in 2025 become a Face-to-Face workday (i.e. if Friday January 3 is
virtual can Monday January 6 be a Face-to-Face workday. Thanks!
An option for post planning to be complete prior to Memorial Day would be optimal. Decreasing days off in February
would suffice.
I would like for preplanning to be held during the first full week of August and the students' first week to be the
following week. July is way too early and disrupts summer family time. For 2024, that would mean preplanning would
be Aug. 5-9, and first official day of school is Aug. 12.
How will EOC testing dates be impacted by the new May dates?
Thank you for hearing the concerns of the faculty and staff and providing two great calendars.
I am almost certain there will need to be two days of post planning. This could create a flow issue if not.
Option A provides more time for teachers to have mental breaks throughout the school year. Well Done...
Teachers and students need a rest break.
The District should seriously consider adopting the calendars that include a full fall and winter break that is compatible
with other districts in the metro area.
I like that we are adding in Fall Break .I feel that having instruction past Memorial Day in May will make summer too
short, and make the school year too long, causing students to get burnt out at the end of the year.
President's Day not a holiday for 12-month staff is not appreciated. Fall Break immediately prior to FTE signoff is asking
for signoff problems.
I prefer more short breaks/3 day weekends and a "longer" school year. Short breaks are best students and teachers.
Teachers get into a "flow" with their instruction. Week-long breaks are disruptive.
I prefer a long weekend in October rather than a full week. A full week disrupts instruction too much.
As DCSD allows for 30+ students in high school and class loads of 150+ students, where are the work days
THROUGHOUT the semester? We lost these when the district furloughed teachers about seven years ago,. Are students
performing better with bigger classes and fewer work days?
Are the virtual teacher work days work from home days for staff? If so, that will make staff really happy.
Please please advocate to incorporate Option A with the week long October and February break. We really need that
extra time to refresh. Thank you for adding the virtual workdays as well.
Thank you for the breaks
It would be nice to incorporate a virtual learning day for students monthly/bimonthly so the the teachers, students, and
parents can continue to be abreast of using Microsoft Teams in case of emergency school closures.osoft Teams regularly.
The breaks are needed for Mental Health Wellness of staff, faculty and students
I didn't see the thanksgiving break or the Christmas break ion the options A or B those are still included, RIght?
Please consider in the near future having every presidential election be virtual/ teacher work day. Voting is in the schools
and the way things are now politically, I don't feel safe. Thank you!
Use calendar option B, but take 2 days away from October (Fall) break making it 3 days instead of 5, and make the last
day of school May 22 and teacher workday May 23.
Thanks for considering the Fall Break in October and the February Break in February. By these dates, teachers really,
really need a much need break to regroup and refresh. Thanks again for thinking of us!
Hello, Why can't school start at least the Middle of August. Some of the students don't show up until after Labor Day.
Longer breaks within the year and needed. Option A would provide this for staff and students. Please consider.
Move the entire year back by 2 or 3 days. Let us start on a Wednesday or Thursday and finish (including teacher
workdays) before Memorial Day. Teachers would LOVE to start the year with a short week. It's exhausting for us AND
for students to jump in with a full week.
2025-2026 doesn't have Spring Break
Please go with option A and can you share the final results.
Starting winter break on 12/20 is really hard for staff members who travel out of town for family.
My suggestion is to ass some asynchronous teaching days for September and March and half days for the last week of
school. the staff and students
Data should be shared with each stakeholder about the votes. Stakeholders should know the percentage of who voted for
what?
The October & February breaks would be sweet relief & opportunities to travel.. great for morale.
I would prefer not staying after memorial day.
It would be beneficial to note the dates/days that 12-month employees would be off when distributing the calendar for
voting.
It would be nice to know the 12-month staff proposed calendar for those of us with school-aged children.
While the school wouldn't end until after Memorial day on option A of both proposed calendars, it is so much better for
the mental health of students, teachers, and staff to have that week long break in February as we go into Milestones
testing considering there is no break in March.
Please align breaks with metro Atlanta districts.
I am extremely excited to see these calendar options after returning to DCSD for districts who utilize this format. These
breaks will allow us to have mental health breaks to be more effective educators towards the students we serve.
I am very excited to see the longer breaks throughout the school year to diminish teacher burnout and to provide
additional times to consider travel besides the most crowded and expensive times of the year.
It is too hot to start so early in August! Push the start date back!
I would rather my student have a shorter summer to prevent summer slide and extended breaks for us to spend with
family. I like calendar A
I love how more breaks are being incorporated into the schedule!!!
Due to some of our kids attending schools in neighboring counties that have calendars similar to Option A, I believe it is
beneficial for Dekalb to adopt a similar calendar to make it easier for staff members with kids.
Thank you for creating a Fall Break that staff can also enjoy! As a Dekalb teacher AND parent, our family never gets to
enjoy those "breaks" because it has not really been a break for employees. I am optimistic of the flexibility of the
"Virtual Teacher Workday."
Staff absences are a concern due to a shorter break. Some staff take extended days during the Fall and Winter Break due
to their kids being out of school or their spouses working in other counties and they are on vacation. It is our best interest
to adopt a calendar similar to surrounding counties.
Thank you for adding a fall and winter break as calendar options.
Parents are looking for more and longer breaks. They are taking students out to take these trips, with or without them
built into the calendar. Having them built in gives parents more opportunity to support attendance initiatives.
It would be great if our breaks coincide with other nearby school districts.
What days will 12 month employees get to be off, is it all the days in yellow stating school close
I think the changes to the October Fall and February Winter Breaks are great and much needed. Having full weeks
provides teachers and students with a period of rest and rejuvenation for the following weeks of school and instruction.
Have you considered 4 day work weeks and the 5th day as PL's?
Both of these options are terrible. There should not be days after Memorial Day for teachers or students. Make fall and
feb breaks be thurs-monday. Students remember NOTHING after a week off. Start date for teachers keeps moving up
and July is too early. Why can we never have any days off in March?
FALL BREAK should be the last full week in September, Early Release for parent/teacher conferences should be
October 15-18 as 2 evening workdays are ineffective and not beneficial for anyone. Last day of 1st semester and last 3
days of school should be early release days (SEE COBB COUNTY CALENDAR).
Dekalb county teachers and students do not get enough breaks. The students and the teachers get burnt out easily. There
should only be 4 day work weeks. The teachers and the students perform better when we all have 3 day weekends. Thank
you.
The fall and winter break will allow us to reset during the school year. It is needed.
The new breaks will help reset each employee especially with motivation. Love what I do but it can be overwhelming at
times. We are living in a Different time period.
Thank you for considering fall and winter breaks on the provided calendars. I believe these days off would benefit the
mental health of both staff and students. This time off would allow an opportunity for them to reset and return focused,
ready, and prepared.
I prefer to get out of school earlier than to have a longer break in February
New teachers have suggested students have a couple more independent learning days and teachers be aloud to
desegregate data after each 4.5 progress report and collaborate for future teaching strategies based off the data.
We do not get a much needed Spring Break with any of these options.
did not see mlk day off or spring break
Please make post planning more than one day. It's hard to close out year- grades/summer school sign up in a day with
teachers
instead of week long breaks, I would want one monday or a friday a month to be a teachers workday (especially just
before a grading period). so students have a day off/break, and I have a day to grade, do parent contact etc.
Thank you for the week-long breaks!
Option A is the better option because it allows for families to take vacations outside of the high vacation seasons.
I think we should not go back to school in July and school should be completely done by Memorial Day. No one should
have to return afterwards until August.
I prefer a week in September like City schools of decatur
I love it! Its about time. We are moving with other metro Atlanta school districts.
Some sort of break in March ( at least one day)
I like the breaks in between, it will benefit everyone, I feel it will help students and teachers from getting burned out.
Thank you for including the virtual work option. Teachers with children have a hard time finding care on those days
because they can’t come to work with us. So that was a very smart move and much appreciated.
I like the shorter breaks means we get out of school earlier versus later in May. It works for me.
Please allow us to have the WHOLE WEEKS off. It is a small ask for teacher mental health.
I personally feel that both teachers and students need breaks throughout the school year. Burnout is real and if we are
consistently asked to be at work or school there becomes a lack of motivation which also effects the delivery and
reciprocation of the lessons being taught.
Please give us an audit of the votes.
Summer Break is getting shorter and shorter
An August 5th start date is ridiculous!!
School should end before Memorial Day for everyone. Rather than having to come back after the holiday. It has never
been like that before
Option A for 24-25 and 25-25 are the best options for teachers because it prevents teacher burn-out. Many teachers felt
the teacher burn out from not having a Fall Break in October. The breaks in October and February are essential to the
mental health and well being of teachers to be effective.
Be good to our teachers for a change
Option A is a ok but is it possible to make the Feb. Break shorter? As an Educator I enjoy wrapping up the school year
before Memorial Day. Therefore, to me the best option is Option B. Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and
many teachers look forward to closing the year at that time.
Option A is the best in my opinion because it allows parents to plan additional vacations outside of normal breaks, such
as spring break or holidays!! Great planning, I love it!!!
I am so excited to have option A. This is what we have been waiting for! This is a game changer for DeKalb for sure!
Would it be possible to share a calendar with the other metro counties?
Please consider adjustments to the March calendar to allow teachers even a short break.
Can we please consider making Fall and Winter break a full 5 days. Breaks throughout the school year are very
important and much needed. I would prefer to start school earlier and end school later.
It would be beneficial to have a teacher workday each week to better prepared and focus on paperwork. This was done
during COVID shut downs and many teachers raved about it.
Please make option A happen, as an educator, we need these breaks
I would rather give up more days in October so we do not have to come back after Memorial Day at all. My vacation is
already planned for 24 during that week.
I do not ever desire to deal with students after Memorial Day. By that point I am tired and in need of a break
There is a way to still get out before Labor Day and have all the breaks. Other metro districts do it!
Thank you so much for including a week off in October. This is such a tremendous help to teachers and students during
the midpoint of fall semester.
SCHOOL BEGINS TOO EARLY IN AUGUST
The March Virtual Learning Day should be 1 week later (March 14/ 2024-2025) to evenly divide the breaks from
February Break to VL Day and VL Day to Spring Break. The 2025-2026 calendar reflects this thought.
Many other school districts allow the Fall Break in late September or Early October . Can we look at those options? I
believe the breaks are needed however, right in time with the the weather changing and time which usually we see an
increase with Attendance & Discipline if we look at the data.
Option A is the best option, in my opinion. This option provides students a healthy, lengthy break. The current, 2 day
February break is too short. Usually an uptick in behavior infractions occur and teachers and staff become extremely
exhausted. Option A is a great step toward wellness.
This is AMAZING!! Thank you. Also, is it possible to see the 11-month employee version of the calendars?
Please choose Option A. Speaking as a teacher, we need more mental health breaks embedded in the school year. Please.
It will be nice to have a week long fall and winter break
I love Option A because it gives teachers time to relax within the fall and winter breaks. Thank you
We do not want work or go to school after memorial day!!
Many Metro Schools here in Atlanta like Cobb County, take the whole week off in September. Is there a way that
DeKalb could adopt Cobb's calendar? Many of your teachers have children in Cobb. We could all be on the same
schedule therefore more teachers would remain in DeKalb.
When school closed and student's have virtual day front office staff or any 10 month employee should have that day off.
Most times there is nothing for them to do. Please consider this.
Why do teachers need to return after Memorial Day? I would have preferred to have an option where teachers did not
have a workday after Memorial Day.
The October break does not make sense given the week break in November at Thanksgiving and the break at Christmas.
A break in October just ends up shortening the summer break, and it is better to have amore condensed school year and a
longer summer break.
Yes, I think we should have virtual classes during election day .
I wished that there was an option that would allow first semester to resume after Labor Day. Second semester would end
in June and resume in September. Our current calendar does not allow students to gather with other family members who
has that option nationwide or worldwide.
We really need the winter and fall breaks during the year. Thank you for making that an option.
Please consider the mental health of your certified and school based staff.
Neither option provides break during the Easter season. Please accommodate this as the break between February and end
of semester is a bit long.
If school extends past May 22nd/23rd, all teachers with children at the JCC would need coverage for that last week as
they are on a week break.
I need to revitalize at various points during the year. I am more motivated and creative with breaks.
I feel it is important to have the breaks for October and February. The last 2 schedules have not had them and the stress
of October and March are too much without the personal time. Also, teacher's need work days not all PL days. We need
the time to plan meaningful experiences for the kids.
I would prefer a shorter fall break and be out of school earlier in May.
Why do paras work on teacher work days?
Make all work days virtual and still end earlier in May.
I prefer to have a shortened October break- Thursday and Friday off or Monday an tuesday off. Then we can finish
before Memorial day
This should have been done years ago. I am glad that our district will be aligned with other districts.
Unless we are able to change the administration date of EOG and EOC testing, option A is extremely disruptive to vital
academic instruction. Having two full weeks off will greatly impact students, especially those unable to receive
supplemental support from tutors or parents during those periods.
Please choose option A for the calendar. The winter break in February provides teachers and students with a much
needed break. I think that if we (teachers) had that break it would cut down on teacher absences. The stretch from
Christmas break until spring break is too long.
Can school start later in the month of August !!
Would like to come back later in Aug. It would be better for the county as far as air conditioning goes once it cools off
more. Why do we come back at the hottest park of the year/
Virtual days are beneficial to both students and teachers alike. If implemented, students will have an opportunity to work
independently,and self pace,free from the distractions of their peers. Also the teachers may complete some of they many
tasks: assessing students' performance, creating engag
Can you specify which days would 12-month employees have off?
As I understand students and teachers need breaks kids being in the classroom should be the main focus and ooverall
goal. When adding out the norm breaks ie a virtual learning day for your age kids learning is not taking place on that day
as many parents have to find child care for the child.
In the future please provide options on reducing thanksgiving break. For example decrease the break by 2 days and add
those days to the end of the year.
Thank you for putting back in the longer breaks in October and February. I believe this will help decrease teacher
absences. Thank you.
I love the fall break options, Thanks DeKalb!!
Teaching/Finals after Memorial Day is frightening. We deserve more $ so we wouldn't have to schedule our second &
third jobs around our school calendar.
I'm a parent and also work for the school system and my vote if for plan A. I feel that both students and teachers become
burnt out and is a benefit to get that break in between semesters.
Why are we going back to the early start year?
It would be great to make the post-planning day a virtual day if it will be in the following week, after Memorial Day. I so
appreciate the inclusion of a week-long fall break. Thank you for listening to stakeholders.
I’m a bus driver when we are going it why do we have to do those skill on service and it take a up our whole day
Why can’t school start in September to help relief from high temperature days in August? All buses do not come air
conditioned. It is unsafe to have our babies in that type of environment.
Stop messing with the schedule!!!!!
Stop messing the schedule because you are going to keep losing teachers and paras
I want to sincerely thank those who came up with these options for the following two years. Teachers have been
exhausted this year, and the morale has been low when I talk to many teachers around the district. Appropriate
opportunities to recalibrate is a step towards H-PRIDE! THANK YOU, DR. HORTON!
I like the old schedule
I really like the long breaks in October and February, but students coming back after Memorial Day does not work well
for anyone. I humbly suggest an alternative: Fall Break October 10th-15th and Winter Break February 14-18. It gives
everyone a nice break and still finishes before Memorial Day!
Spring break wasn't included??
Thank you for adding additional days off, being that I live in another district (if approved) I'll be able to take off with my
children while out of school. Thank you all for this opportunity for supporting our mental health.
Thank you OPTION A is the BEST!
more time is needed to improve working enviroment and teacher moral
None
How will this affect 12-mo employees...will do not get the full week off during fall/winter breaks. Many staff often have
to use leave to take off when their children are out of school. Granting 12-mo employees at least 3 days off during
weeklong breaks will make huge difference. Thanks!
there should be half days at the end of each semester during finals period
I think adding a full week fall break in February is an excellent idea.
This calendar reflects a better balanced school year for parents, students, and teachers.
I wanted to thank the individuals responsible for the calendar A options. I am sure teachers will enjoy these changes.
Do the other breaks fall in line with other area districts as well?
Why are there so many relevant days missing from this proposal?
Can the board please review having a full week of fall break? We have really enjoyed having the Fri-Monday break vs. a
whole week.
Prefer shorter winter break to allow longer summers for children with better weather. Also let's them out earlier (prior to
Memorial Day)
I strongly vote for Option A!!
Independent Learning days deprive students of learning opportunities and place an undue burden on families with less
means. These families are often headed by single parents working jobs with less flexibility. Independent Learner days
increase stress on families and widen educational outcomes.
Help kids that don’t do well in school. We’ve been begging for decades and y’all are not properly helping us, not about
the calendar but that’s my biggest concern with this county.
Very excited to have a week-long fall break in October and possibly a week winter break in February. Thank you for
considering these changes - they will boost teacher morale and retention. I also believe that a slightly shorter summer
will reduce summer learning loss.
Roughly 6 weeks of no school during the school year is hard on working parents. Both fall and February break should be
2 days off. This would help a lot of families who don’t have family close by and cannot afford 6 full weeks of childcare.
Can we get more independent learning days.
It is frustrating that you don’t provide an option that excluding a full week in October. This adds more pressure for
parents to find coverage for childcare that are quite limited. Virtual learning days should not count as instructional days -
elementary kids receive no valuable education!
Later start date in fall
Other districts have a entire week for fall break and another one in February and an earlier start in summer. Why doesn't
our district do the same? There will be less teacher attendance issues using a different calendar.
We should NOT go back in July. That is ridiculous.
An entire week off for fall break is too much. Promote fortitude, not burnout.
I really want to keep a full winter break. March is long enough for all involved, and every other district has a full break.
Thank you for the Breaks!
Can we have option A and get out before Labor Day? The calendar would be awesome!
Thank you for providing breaks. They are necessary and vital to ensure the teachers and students are performing their
best.
Who creates or suggest these dates because the true input should come from the teachers.
I am pleased to see that DCPS is considering providing a Winter Break and February Break, each for a week. I see that
there are other counties that utilize a similar option. I notice that the other counties are still able to complete the required
instructional days with student success.
Thank you for providing the options of having more breaks. It is draining not having a fall or winter break. This will
prevent burnouts and call outs.
On the calendar, provide central office virtual work day options, when schools are closed.
Learn from home days are not really a true school day for single parents who work or duel working parents. We already
are limited on vacation to be home with our kids on actual calendar days off. These virtual days should not exist.
The district calendar decision should take into consideration retaining staff while preventing teacher burnn out.
This is amazing. Please continue to do great things for Dekalb Dr. Horton
If possible 12 month stay may be able to partake in virtual days.
It would be beneficial if the committee take a moment and look a Cobb County Calendar. Their calendar is far more
feasible and then look at the CCRPI numbers, especially the EOC and graduation rates. The look into their attendance
date. This may help you look a very balanced calendar.
Can we start the first day of school be the day after Labor Day and the last of school be the first Friday in June ?
Why is that for us to have a winter break and a fall break, we must come back after Memorial day. Can you take in
consideration that people will be out of town?
please release future calendars a year in advance please. This is too late for 2024 planning.
The last three days of school immediately following Memorial Day will be absolutely unproductive and a waste of in-
school days.
Having so many long breaks throughout the year seems very disruptive to learning, especially a long winter break just
over a month after a long semester break. Too much stopping and starting.
with the upcoming calendar, there is no longer a spring break. Is this correct?
The last day of the first & second semester should be quicker.
Please please please do not go past Labor Day. This affects so many summer plans, including GHSA dead week being
the week of Memorial Day for families of coaches!!!
I would like to have a later start date option instead of the Feb break. It is so hot and taxing for buses and buildings to
maintain comfort in such heat in early Aug. I would like to see more options to choose from than these 2.
My family is completely opposed to being in school after Labor Day. Nor do we see value in a weeklong winter break. A
winter break with Thursday and Friday off or Friday and Monday off are ideal. We love the idea of having a weeklong
fall break. If there is a 2nd choice for fall break, Thurs-Mon.
We really need the breaks throughout the school year. It helps us to have a moment to refresh and to work productively.
Can you please explain why you selected October for Fall Break instead of September? I thought the reason September
was preferred for most because it allowed families to take vacations at off-peak times. The October dates coincide with
another holiday. Thanks!
Would love to see a long winter and fall break. like a full week or Thursday to Tuesday.
Calendar A is best for all stakeholders.
These calendars still seem different than neighboring counties. Why? Seems others start later, and/or get out earlier, have
longer breaks…it’s confusing. Also, the virtual learning days are awful as working parents. It’s one thing to have kids at
home, but to assign them work that “counts” not ok
A full week for fall break is too much. School needs to end before Memorial Day!
Why are the districts calendars not aligned with the other districts who’s kids may not be apart of DCSD having to take
in consideration of putting in leave to take care of their kids who are not in school on the days DeKalb is
These options are great; however, starting school after Labor Day as other districts do. There are several reasons, such as
heat index, air conditioning units, vacations, and cost effectiveness. Because of this -school can end 30 minutes later/1-2
weeks later.later,
More breaks during the school year should lead to less teacher burnout.
It would be really great if the metro area schools would consider the same calendar. There are so many parents who are
teachers in neighboring districts.
The week long breaks make it very hard to find child care. Consider working parents. Random weeks off are not helpful.
Please please start later. The early August start date is something all of ATL does but we don’t have to do that. Late
august is so much more preferred and let out in mid June. Half the country does it like that and it can be done! Also
please allow teachers to enjoy breaks too, its Needed
Would prefer to start 1 week later
Do any of these calendars include the April Spring Break week? I did not want to assume it was.
No school after Memorial Day!!
Adding a week long fall break is short-sighted. In the spring they're so busy taking standardized tests that they don't learn
anything. To remove a week of learning, from which it will take a week to recover, just to match other local school
districts is consistent with poor DCSD priorities.
Future calendars should be set much sooner
I don’t think a week long fall break is necessary. Would rather start a few days later in August to avoid multiple breaks
in learning.
Although I selected the options I believe that school should end before Memorial Day but still have the February breaks
Calendar needs more virtual days. Other counties in the surrounding area have more virtual days.
Allowing teachers to have a fall and winter breaks coincides with other metro Atlanta school districts and prevents
teacher burnout.
It is easier to plan for childcare, or take vacation, for a whole week vs. 1-2 days. I appreciate the effort to schedule breaks
alongside holidays. I am concerned holidays of other religions are being overlooked; we have a diverse community..
Let’s be consistent with other counties. Give full weeks off for breaks and not just one day.
According to the schedule our choices are 1 week winter break or school ending a week earlier. Let's just get the weeks'
winter break and get our earlier school release, just like it used to be.
Winter break for the 2024 has a typo. It shows no end date.
I love this thanks!
We need our full week of fall break back
the 2024-2025 calendar should have been approved last year. Waiting until January is not acceptable for parents who are
planning summer vacations, camps, etc.
Ending before Labor Day lets working parents use a federal holiday for a full week vacation that week, which cannot
happen if kids are in school. Option A shortens summer one week so less time for positive summer activity and forces
parents to find childcare during off seasons.
Please consider moving the start and end of the school year forward by at least a week. August is so hot and buses are not
air conditioned. Many buildings have inadequate HVAC for the extreme heat.
Adding week long breaks to the calendar is a burden for parents. While camps are available they come at a cost that not
all families can afford.
I don’t understand, for the life of me… why kids need to start school during the hottest month of the summer. I did not
grow up here, we started school after Labor Day. It’s absolutely terrible that they are in school during the summer month
of august. Let’s stop calling it the fall calendar then.
Give teachers the extended February Break for our own mental health. Option A All The Way.
THANK YOU
No break for Thanksgiving?!?!!!
Please consider giving at least one full uninterrupted week off for 12-month employees during Christmas break.
will it be sent to student's emails? do parent teacher days ever be on half day
I do not agree with 1 week break in February - it is too much!
Will there be adjustments to the Thanksgiving Break?
We are one of the few surrounding counties that do not have a midwinter break. I usually take off 2 days to go on
vacation with my nephews who have a midwinter break. Dekalb schedule suck and one of the main reasons I have
considered switching counties.
Stop making teachers return to work in July
Fulton County allows students to have 5 optional virtual days per semester for each student to take to be flexible. I would
like to see that implemented in DeKalb County.
Would prefer not to have a week long fall break.
Please plan calendars further into the future. Many parents have to plan their vacations for the in October the next
calendar year. Next school year we should be voting on the 26-27 calendar.
Why a full week in October. Would rather start in August for pre-planning, not July
The fall break is too long. Between fall break, Thanksgiving break, and semester break, the kids are barely in school.
Is there spring break in April?
We need a built in break like all of the other counties. If that means us going back to school earlier- so be it.
Why are the vacation days so heavy in the first part of the year and not more balanced?
It would be appreciated to have a Fall Break like all the other Counties do
Both of these options do not make sense for working parents. These children DO NOT need a week off in October. It’s
ridiculous expected families to accommodate this schedule. We should start later in August too. They start way too early.
Please come up with another option!!
If you are going to offer a week long fall break, why can't you line up with other districts as is done for spring break?
Having a week off in October and then another week off a month later followed by two weeks off for Christmas is
ridiculous. Please put the fall break in September like Cobb and
Neither option is acceptable. Parents and children do not need a full week off in October and February. They’ve barely
been in school 6 weeks and you are suggesting a full week off? How are working parents supposed to make this work?
My child would welcome the extended winter break during the school year even if this extends the school year as whole.
Please pass option A for both calendars
Please try and coordinate your calendar with the other metro districts. Fall and Winter breaks benefit kids and teachers.
I prefer option a because it gives enough times for students to have a meaningful downtime throughout the year rather
than just a longer summer. Keeps their motivation and stress level even.
Please understand these breaks allow teachers to rejuvenate
As a teacher we really need the different .breaks, to keep from getting burned out. Also to keep staff
It's important to remember attendance for teachers and students in the months of October and March. These 2 months are
the longest period of time between breaks. Data should be comprised to find out why students and teachers miss more
days in October and March
Option A is amazing.
We’d like to have more individual learning days or holidays.
I believe having the extra days off in October and February will give families opportunities to take vacations "off season"
without children missing school days.
The week long breaks are difficult for working parents.
Not happy about pre-planning the last week of July AND ending the school year after Memorial Day.
Long breaks during the school year are very hard and expensive for working parents
Do not start so early in August. Why is the winter break 3 weeks, way too long. 2 weeks should be enough, kids will
forget. And what are working parents going to do with the kids at home?
It’s imperative to have those extra breaks to allow teachers to reboot.
I do want to be in school past Labor Day! And a week in February isn’t helpful to me: I’ll have to work, and it too cold
to travel I enjoy.
Are 1/2,days able to be implemented at all for conferences for teachers and parents or 1/2 days for teachers to catch up
on their work? Parents can pay an after school provider to help raise money for the school.
First I hope this was sent to all the teachers and school staff to get their thought before these options were even made. I
don't see why we need a entire week in Oct? I think how it was in the past long weekend is enough. To have a week in
Oct and a week in Feb is not needed, just long weekends.
Is it possible to start the year earlier, so we can end the year before Memorial Day? (Option A)
Is there any way we can have a Fall Break and end school before Memorial Day for certified teachers/students? I like
Option A but not getting out May 29th. It is too hot in the summer. Many of DeKalb school buildings old are old and it is
extremely hot the end of May!
I would like to hv a whole week off for fall break & when the kids are out I would like to have that whole Day off as
well,Thxs
There is a long stretch from August to Thanksgiving. Having that break in between would give us a time to rejuvenate
and refresh so that we don't get burnt out. The same is for second semester. There's a long stretch from January to spring
break given us a winter break helps us do the same.
I'm also a parent
The Independent Learner Days are stressful days for parents and students, and little learning occurs. It's incredible
difficult for working parents to make this day work without taking paid time off. Please do not include these days.
Why can’t you make the Friday before President's day, the teacher workday and then make the Monday a holiday for
everyone - even if it is just the one day or if it is a week long holiday?? It makes no sense to work on the Monday which
is Presidents’ Day
We don't need a week off in February when we just had winter break.
It is important to remember that teachers and staff need quality time off just as our students. This is essential to our
mental health.
Time off is essential to the mental health of teachers and support staff.
Please consider a fall and mid-winter break EACH year. This, in my opinion, allows less teacher burn out and increases
attendance. Frequent breaks ( 3-5 days) is essential to teacher retention.
Thank you for including more days for fall and winter break.
Teachers ending before Memorial Day is ideal since we have to return in July for the next school year. Shorten the Feb
or Oct break if needed to make that happen
The options are not comparable to other school districts. Also, what happen to teacher recruitment & retention?
Except during the summer months, I would like all school-based employees (12 months) to have the same days off as 10
month employees. I'm a 12-month employee who works in the Fall, Spring and Winter break. I'd like to spend time with
my family without sacrificing my time.
Praise God! In the 21st century. These weeklong breaks are crucial for our mental health. Thank God for Dr. Horton! I
think he will be the best superintendent that we have ever had, and I am glad that I stayed in Dekalb!
These breaks can refresh (step away from stress) and motivate students, so when they go back to school, they are driven
and prepared to learn and grow.
There are too many long breaks for working parents. I would rather the kids have 200 days of learning than so many full
weeks off. Thanksgiving should only be W-Fr and Winter Break is unnecessary since they just had 2 weeks off for
Christmas.
I came from a county that had signficantly more breaks than what Dekalb offers. I have found that I have had to take
more time off than ever to find time to arrange for appointments for myself and for my children because there aren't
enough scheduled days off. I also find that I am exhausted.
The "B" calendar options reduces the teacher much needed break by one week.
Please just give us a 4 day work week!
It is about time we matched up with the rest of the school districts in the region. Now lets get the pay up too!
how does a princbel
Is there an option to add 2 additional Teacher Workdays for Planning? One prior to each semester
For employee retention, it would most beneficial to consider a calendar for 246 day-12 mo. employees that includes a
Christmas Eve through New Years Day-off calendar, as many neighboring counties already exercise this option. Also,
adopt a school house closed=virtual work day policy for 12-month.
We need to have a TRUE fall and winter break like ALL OTHER DISTRICTS around us!
Thank you for considering an extended fall break for DCSD calendar.
Is it possible to start school a week earlier, so the last day of school is before memorial day? Al
I love the idea of having more breaks built into the school year. Everyone can use a break.
Thank you! It is past time to move to a balanced calendar like neighboring districts.
Please really take into consideration the opinions of these surveys. This are the adults that are IN buildings with the
students. Thank you!
How about having an option for fall and winter break on Thursday, Friday and Monday. Let "Thanksgiving and
Christmas" break stay the same. And get out before Memorial day! Just an option. Thanks for letting me share!
Give us longer breaks
I would much rather option B. It is prohibitively expensive to find childcare in the middle of the school year for a
random camp when we can't take off work to be with the kids.
Going 2 months in the spring without a break is challenging for students and staff. Might it be possible to include a day
or two off in April even if we do not do a whole week of spring break?
Thank you for considering work life balance with the calendars. Perhaps we can balance the October and February off
days by making it: Thurs, Fri, Mon (or Mon,Tue,Wed) in October and February virtual on Thurs with Fri & Monday off.
I would like to see Veterans Day, Nov. 11th added as a holiday for all staff.
Would like to see a break in March, School starting later towards the end of August and ending in Mid June to coincide
with the rest of the country.
The Fall Break was historically the full week BEFORE Columbus Day, and we would return the day after Columbus
Day.
Why are we cutting Christmas break short by a couple of days?
Start earlier so the students can be done prior to Memorial Day and include all the breaks
School after Memorial Day makes the summer too short - hard to schedule camps, family trips, etc.
Why are teachers being pushed into almost June for instructional days. These students need more breaks. Would like to
suggest the year-round option for ES and MS
If Option A is selected, do we have a longer Summer break?
Some 1/2 days would also be a great alternative vs. full days for Winter break.
It would be great if the options for 12 month employees were shared in the options and/or done separately for 12 month
employees. I feel that were left surprised with our additional workdays until the school year begins. Also, all federal/state
holidays are not reflected on the calendar
I believe the winter break should occur later in February, even if it was only a four-day weekend.
As a parent, I prefer to have school end before Memorial day, in order to have the last week of May for summer break.
My family is more likely to use that week for family/vacation time, instead of during a week off in February. My family
is not likely to use a week in February for vacation.
Staff shouldn’t have to return in July.
We need to fix the calendar in such a way that teachers never return to school in the month of July.
I am a kindergarten parent new to GA. It is helpful to send out more information about what the different days mean. We
were not familiar with virtual learning or professional days for the younger kids.
I feel fewer interruptions to learning (I.e. long breaks) is better for student learning because of continuity with fewer
transition days. As a stakeholder, I want to know why a full week of fall break is being added and why another full week
shortly after holiday break is also being considered.
Since when is fall break an entire week? This makes it incredibly difficult for working parents. Also, when are
independent learning days going away? You guys are making it impossible for working parents with this many holidays.
Virtual days are a COVID leftover and should be removed.
Is there any data supporting more breaks during school year? And if so, does the length of the break matter?
An additional week of vacation during the school year is tough for those of us that want to plan time off outside of school
mandated vacations. It is also nice to finish before a long weekend vs. having to come back to school after Memorial
Day. Those don’t seem like they would be very productive.
Why are there so many virtual learning days? Also, when did teacher contract days go from 180 to 190?
I prefer not having the February break since it doesn’t coincide with either my wife’s spring break at UGA (March) or
my other child’s break from preschool (April)
Is there any way to implement 1/2 days for parent teacher conferences instead of the evening? If teachers are not
available because they have to pickup their own children from daycare or other schools, what are they suppose to do? If
it’s a 1/2 day, this will allow teachers to at least schedule virt
Week long Fall and Winter breaks are MUCH NEEDED for our scholars. Thank you! Thank you also for trusting us as
professionals to have productive virtual teacher work days. It is also helpful to teachers who are also parents who would
otherwise need childcare for a single day of a break.
Finding alternate childcare for a longer winter break is harder than finishing the year early and having a contiguous block
of summer break to get alternate childcare for.
The Fall and Winter breaks present too much hardship for working parents to have supervision for their children
Summer vacations need to be longer.
How many kids are really going to come back after Memorial Day weekend?
Please get rid of “virtual” teacher workdays
Will we see the results?
Option A coincides more with other school district calendars which supports staff with children who live in other
districts. They will be less likely to struggle with childcare when those other districts have breaks that DCSD doesn't
have with its calendar. Oct. & Feb. breaks support mental health
I am glad that the district included a fall break for the teachers and students.
Appreciate the attention to needing stopping points throughout the calendar.
Teacher burn-out is real, so a calendar that allows frequent break provides opportunities for rest and recovery and also
may account for less stressed teacher
This calendar will definitely cut down on absenteeism and boost morale.
First: I don’t think there was an option for fall break to keep it so that it is only a Friday and Monday. Is it safe to say that
F/M break option in October is gone? Also in survey why are some days (eg Friday) called out in some cells but not all?
I think it would be wonderful for all schools to be on one accord. Therefore when our kids are out in other districts we
don’t have to find childcare.
Return date for teachers despite calendar selected should be August not July.
I believe that students perform better when the calendar is balanced, meaning that students have more frequent breaks
spaced at regular intervals as opposed to a long break over a summer. The 150 year old agrarian calendar is antiquated
regarding 21st Century Learners.
Si todo está referido al calendario es para mejorar la educación de nuestros hijos para mí Está bien todo lo que están
haciendo los felicito que Dios los bendiga a cada uno de los que representan a la escuela maestros directores y a todos los
que esfuerzan para mejorar la educación de todos los niño
Any chance we can squeeze the asynchronous Wednesdays back? This will allow teachers and staff time to get work
done during contractual hours oppose to working after hours.
I would prefer to just keep it the same way it has always been-- without the full week for fall break.
why give longer breaks but have us get out late?
Having teachers start in July is way too early. School should begin later in August and end the first week of June.
Can we move the first day of school so that we the week long February break school could end prior to Memorial Day?
I do not have strong opinions about starting and end dates, or the length of our fall or February break. I do strongly object
to the use of "independent learning days" to reach our 180 days. These put too great a burden on students and caregivers,
esp. young children, and do not involve instruction.
For the February break, is it possible to schedule the break as Thursday-Monday? In return, the educators would not have
to return to work after Memorial Day.
Why is the Spring Break not included in the survey?
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OPTION A CALENDAR TO BE DISTRICT WIDE AT LEAST FOR THANKSGIVING,
CHRISTMAS, AND SPRING BREAK HOLIDAYS AS OTHER METRO AREA SCHOOLS ALLOW THEIR
DISTRICT EMPLOYEES TO ENJOY THEIR HOLIDAYS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
Please stop with the long breaks and shortening summer.
THE ENTIRE DISTRICT SHOULD BE CLOSED DURING THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, AND SPRING
BREAK HOLIDAYS!
Assuming this is a typical DeKalb error: October 14-17, 2025, a Tuesday to Friday? Idiots
All variations keep the same early August start date - would prefer options with a later start
I encourage the calendar committee to consider the testing schedule, especially for those high schools on block schedule.
Every day is precious. AP exams are the first of May, EOCs are at the end of April. Please consider this when developing
the calendar.
I would like if the school year started closer to Labor Day rather than at the beginning of August.
As a long time tax paying citizen and DCSS grad, just do right by the teachers! Give them the resources needed and stop
wasting our tax money!
Please consider giving off for Rosh Hashanah and/ Yom Kippur.
Better to be done by Memorial Day. Better not to have school on Valentines Day.
I would like a longer fall break.
Returning for three days after Memorial Day is a terrible idea.
Will there be a possibility that school could start after Labor Day?
It would be nice if we come back in for teacher workday in August instead of July.
Professional development days should be virtual so that teachers can have workdays in their classrooms.
Why do you guys have the kids starting the second semester in the middle of the week instead of on a Monday morning?
I really feel that ending the school year before the memorial Day holiday will be much more favorable. Besides, you
want the kids to have their graduation ceremony before June.
The later in august they can start, the better. It’s way too hot in Atlanta for the kids to be going to school that early!!
The proposed winter break from December 20 through January 7 seems unnecessarily long. These long breaks are a
hardship on working parents because we need to find alternative childcare options which are often costly.
It is so nice to see the board giving teachers and students a full week for a fall and winter break. It is much needed.
It seems crazy to have such a large February break when students have barely been back in school for a month after the
Dec/Jan break!
A week long break in October is unrealistic. Starting a week into the new year is impractical. The start dates are too
early. Why are exact spring break not listed
There is no need for a week off in October and an extended break in February. One to two day max is all that’s needed.
The students can’t get into learning anything because there is always a break once they do start to learn something. It’s
ridiculous the amount of time they have offf.
Full week breaks create a hardship for single parents and those whoo cannot afford camps/childcare. Employers do not
give that much time off for employees.
Please remove the Fall break. One week off in October is excessive.
With the increased use of technology, ZOOM, TEAMS etc., please reconsider evening conferences.
Would prefer later start in August and not have full week off for Fall Break
Would really like a full week of fall break to match other districts.
Both options actually did not show Spring Break, as an FYI although the calendar view does. Anyway, option A is the
better option as it puts DCSD on par with private schools that have been doing it for years allow for educational trips and
camps.
Please stop with the virtual learner days! The teachers don’t seem to like them or have adequate support and guidance in
properly planning them and the kids HATE them. They o may lead to tears, frustration and absolutely no actual learning.
They also are a burden to working parents.
Would be helpful to also notate existing holidays where the public and/or school will also be closed
Would spring break remain the same
We do not need an entire week off in February. It’s hard enough for working parents.
I do not agree with another week off in the school year. It adds additional cost and time for families and continuity of
learning. The children will have been in school for 5 weeks before an additional week off of school. After also being off
for a week in November and then winter break. No thanks
I like that we are moving towards a calendar similar to most counties in GA. However, I am not fund of coming back
after labor day and beginning work in July. This is not even a 2 month break off.
I am also the spouse of a teacher. Including teacher workdays as part of the winter and fall break dates for the general
population is a detriment to educators’ families. It means that they are unable to take the same breaks as those who are
not educators, reducing their “breaks”to 3 day weekends.
Please reconsider the Jan 7 start date for 2nd semester. Most parents will have Jan 1 off of work, but finding childcare for
an extra few days after that will be difficult.
There should be a way for the students to have a week out in February and still end the school year before Memorial Day
Holiday. It would be great if that would be possible along with fall break being a week as well.
Consider doing the extended weekend in October and full week in February
School.needs to start later
The additional breaks will better support students & staff.
Having school continue the week of Memorial Day is silly. Let the kids be done! Thank you for this survey!
If we have too many days off it is harder to move through the curriculum. Also, most families plan their summer
vacation during Memorial Day Week. It is the last week before the prices increase.
The school should end faster.
We need a break in March
Make better choices.
Please keep in mind that while some parents have virtual workdays that is quickly coming to an end across many
companies. Vacation and sick days are often only 2-3 weeks total. Please do not over extend the vacations and virtual
days.
Extra week-long breaks provide childcare struggles for working families. Also, I don't believe valuable interaction will
occur on a 3 day week after a long weekend with the exhaustion that is May
Option A provides breaks for educators to be able to relax and reset at various points during the school year which is
much needed in the academic climate.
If option A is chosen for the 24-25 school year, could we return a bit later in August for 25-26 school year? Could that be
analyzed and considered?
I would like to see Dekalb County move the calendar to begin later in August. I would like to start the 2nd week in
August, not the first.
This will be great for vacations.
We cannot go back to school after Memorial Day weekend. No matter how long the break, the less breaks the better -
hard for parents to plan for 1 or 2 days off
It would honestly be best to have these kinds of schedules because the kids are still needing that time to really understand
the lessons as they go thru their curriculums every week, extra moments with a teacher could do wonders for those
students that are not testing to well in the core subjects.
Summer break is already short enough. School ending after Memori Day places a great burden on families wishing to
travel, see family, attend summer camp or other meaningful and important activities. A weeklong break in February will
be filled with independent study projects and offers no “break”.
can we have springbreak and can our winter break start on the 17th and end on the 8th of january
Week long breaks but still end the school year before Memorial Day holiday.
Please decide as soon as possible! Thank you!
maek teh winatre skool brak longer
pls make da winter break longerr, you know we need dat break after hard work :( and make thanksgiving break longerr
pls bru we need a break, we are tired and lazy all dayyyy, pls bru
pls broo make the breaks longer man i hate school no cap pls
i rlly want da break to be longer ong
make the break longerr blud, make summer break like 4 months blud yk we need it. pls
pls make dat breajk longer pls, we need sleep make winter longger
MAke Da ScHoOl BrEaK LoNgEr PlS BrOsKi i WaNt To gO sLeEp
make dat break longer pls,my body is soo lazyy and ded.
Start date-there were no options. August 4? Too early! Consider starting the 2nd week in August. It's better for everyone.
Parents won't miss Open house due to July family vacations. Teachers will be happier. Parents will be better prepared.
It's a win-win no brainer.
A week off in February plus virtual days make it challenging for most parents who are now back to an office
there is no point to extending the school year to Memorial Day, kids and teachers will be DONE by then. keep the breaks
short to accommodate working families who have to scramble for childcare with numerous extended breaks..
Is there a possibility to build in parent-teacher conference days like other counties?
I need a calendar shirt and haircut.
Going past Memorial Day is not realistic. Teachers who are pursuing higher degrees and depend on summers for lab
classes need summer to be longer. Parents who have kids in Summer Swim team also need the summer to be longer also.
Students do not need a full week off. They will loose steam the friday prior and the monday afterward. This takes away
from valuable focused classroom time. It is difficult for working parents to negotiate an additional week off mid
semester. Students NEED school.
We want to finish the school year BEFORE Memorial Day, please!
3 day Winter Break instead of 5 days.
My children spend the summers with their Grandparents. It will be much better if they did not have to return to school
after the holiday.
Can we start the school year mid week instead of on a Monday? Other districts do this and it’s so much better for the
kids when they don’t have a full 5 days the first week. Start the year on a Wednesday or Thursday.
The school year should be longer.
Students do NOT need a week in February for Winter break. This is hard on the parents. Is there also a week for spring
break?
Better to start on a Wednesday or Thursday so we have time to recuperate after stressful first day back
Please finalize calendar for future years much earlier than you are for next year!!
Needing of more teacher work days
no reason to end the school year after memorial day. Attendance will be low and not a good use of anyones time.
I would like to propose that we keep the calendar we have now.
Please choose option A to be aligned with most of the metro area.
Having a full week off is not worth getting out of school 6 days later, especially when we are still getting a 4-day
weekend. This is why I chose option B.
If you are going to give a full week for fall break, it would have been great to consider the Jewish holidays and try to
have the break be over those days!
Add halfdays
As a working parent, it is hard to have more spaced out full weeks off where we need to find childcare.
I am concerned that having a short week of school after Memorial Day will mean students will simply not come those
days. Why have a break for Memorial Day and then come back for just a couple days? I think that will end up being
wasted time for students and staff.
An entire week off in October is difficult for families without a stay at home parent.
I like the idea of teacher’s having the virtual day options. Also, I like the schedule that Henry and Clayton County offers
bc of the week long breaks. Those breaks are vital to the students and the teachersz
Is there no spring break?
Shorten summer break and offer longer breaks during the year so workload is more evenly spread
We should have a winter break option with virtual learning opportunities. Otherwise have the students return the
chromebooks for Classroom sets. Parents are creating their own vacation days anyway.
so this will be a comment as student s9172406 i will be moveing from 8th to 9th next year and i want to know why for
one winter break is 1 day
Would like to get out before Memorial Day.
None
A February break is not needed as we would have just returned from winter break and we have MLK Day in January as
well as President's Day in February.
I am not fond of either calendar. However, option B is more suitable. There is no need for an entire week off in February.
Extending the school year in May is not effective nor efficient. After testing, students are not as focused.
Thank you for acknowledging people (staff and students) need self care breaks!
Thank you for considering the staff for the extra breaks. It is great to have mental breaks for teachers , staff and students.
I think it is necessary for both teachers and staff to have the week Fall and Winter break. This will help to improve
attendance amongst staff and reduce teacher burn out. I personally feel that teachers, currently, are on edge by the end of
the semesters and their responses to students are short.
Thank you for considering the employees and mental health to be able to serve our students and parents.
Students and teachers should not have to return after Memorial Day.
As a parent and teacher it would be great if all the major counties could have the same calendars, especially for childcare
and help with children, meaning ATlanta Public schools, Decatur City and Cobb and Gwinnett...
The 1st of August is to soon its the hottest month of the year. County always say they don't have any money. So why
cand they go back like 3rd wk and get out Wed before Mem Day. Ur having to pay cooling,cafeteria food,workers,bus
drivers,gas etc That's money saved that u can use in other places
A week off for fall break is difficult for working parents
Extra one week breaks are especially difficult for working parents to manage. I do not recommend including an extra 5
day break in the fall but that decision was not an option in either calendar.
I hate starting school so early
Still such an early start date. Would love this to be pushed back.
School base 12-month employees' calendar aligns with 10&11-month employees during the Holiday/Break School
Closed.
This needs to be shared with the masses. There was NO communication about the topic.
The only difference is a longer winter break which is hard for working parents. Give us more options on start and end
dates
Longer year but maybe re breaks so kids don’t get burned out or slide as much during summer is always better!!!
I like that the calendar gives the extra break for the students in February. The students as well as the teachers need
breaks.
I would prefer a school year calendar with more summer break days, rather than a week out of school in February. A
February break does not benefit my family, but a longer summer break would.
We need a day off in March.
1) Half Days for High School. 2) Earlier start in order to get more breaks through out the school year. Student get tired &
teacher can catch up on their responsibilities 3) Please do not consider ending after Memorial Day as people leave for
summer & a day off is to close to the end the semester.
Too many days off. Dekalb was not like this when we were students, we stayed in school. Seperation from the
educational process leads to delinquency. Keep our kids engaged in scho!
I wish that we could have a longer spring break. Maybe one week and two days. Overall I would like to end school
earlier though. Especially 2025-2026 that is my grad year!
We don’t need another week off after 2 weeks in December/Januaey. Kids need the longer summer. Childcare is harder
to find for full weeks mid year.
They need to go through end of May, no long Feb break & start later in Aug. It's so hot in Aug & our bus has no AC
&our driver wasn't letting kids put windows down until I went to head of DeKalb county schools transportation &
complained that my daughter was coming home soaked with sweat.
I do not see independent learning days called out. I request as few of those days as possible. I do not see them as valuable
learning days.
Would love a shorter October break and the week in February and end prior to Memorial Day
Shorter Oct break, week in Feb and end before Memorial Day
Kids are exhausted and unable to focus going for 15+ weeks only with long weekends and no real break
Shorter Oct, week in February and then end before memorial day
Ideally the kids would have 2 days off (Friday and Monday) for winter break and get out of school on May 23rd. Thank
you.
I'd like an option to start the school year later and end later
Having to come back to school for a short week after Memorial Day does not seem productive. The extra time off in
February isn’t worth the later end of year
Stop with the independent virtual learning days. Complete waste of time!
We need breaks to decompress and rest. This job is hard. If you want to retain teachers, you need to start treating us a
better. If you don’t have teachers, DCSD doesn’t exists. Come walk a mile in our shoes!
I think school needs to start later in August. It is way too early to start school on the very beginning of August!
Don't like starting a week early to get a week off in October. Rather start later in August. Don't like teachers coming back
in July, having a "virtual workday" Jan 3rd and having to come back after Memorial Day for post-planning
I love the option providing a long break in February.
So ready for this for our students and staff!!
Option A is great however, in reality families go out of town for Memorial Day. If we could shorten the February break
just a little and the students still get out before Memorial that would be great.
Love the week long fall break. Please do not use the option of ending school after Memorial Day. It would just extend
the days of doing nothing that matters after EOCs and AP testing is done. The students also will not want to have finals
after the holiday- already mentally on summer vacation!
I love having fall and Feb breaks
Please make the start of school a week later and then end after Memorial Day.
I appreciate the opportunity to provide input, and I appreciate the fact that you are exploring options to better align us
with nearby school districts. The schedule for Dekalb vs that of Cobb, for example, has never made sense to me.
It would be great if the break between the first and second semester could be three weeks long to consider those wanting
to travel to families living far away for an extended period over Christmas.
I would like to thank the committee for thinking about the educators of Dekalb County; by selecting calendar "A" this
will reduce student and teacher burnout.
Is MLK Jr. Day no longer a day off in these options?
Consistent breaks will decrease call-outs and absentees.
Is this calendar on par with other counties that have week long breaks for years i.e. Rockdale, Henry, Newton as they still
get out before Memorial Day?
Can we have off during Mardi Gras and Carnival?
The full week off in October is unfortunate and a big change from prior years.
If the option is chosen to have school ending after labor day, I think alot of students will just not show up the last week.
Being out Monday, but then coming back for 2 more days is unlikely.
It would benefit the teachers to add half days to prevent burnout.
Having an entire week for fall break removes 2 potential weekends for homecoming and is a hindrance to fall sports
schedules.
Additional weeklong breaks during the semester are a challenge for working parents to find childcare.
A full week fall break AND a full week at Thanksgiving feels excessive. We prefer fall break as a long weekend.
where is spring break?
I think "A " is a great school year calendar it provides breaks to help teachers and students from being burned out during
the school year.
Teachers and staff should receive a full February break instead of having a teacher work day on one of the student days
off.
Please Finalize calendars at least 1 year in advance. I have to put my PTO in 1 year in advance!
Why not ask for suggestions before making the calendar
Why would we extend the school year and require kids to come back AFTER Memorial Day? You realize no actual
learning would take place, but poor hs students would have finals. Every parent I’ve spoken to prefers to keep the short
winter break and end before Memorial Day. —Chesnut Elementary Parent
Multiple full weeks off during the year is very hard for parents.
Please let us know these dates further in advance. Often vacations are scheduled at least a year in advance & now we’re
missing instructional days due to the new Fall Break dates.
In 2025, is there no break for Thanksgiving? Does the longer fall break replace it?
Why do we start so early in the year? Why not closer the end of August? Get away from the heat and enjoy summer
longer.
It is not clear why another full week is needed in October. This significantly breaks up the learning and retention. Same
thing for the Option A proposal on February. And then no break in the long month of March. That’s the learning
component, the other significant challenge is to working parents.
We have already planned an international trip so getting out that late in May want work for us.
We do NOT need another full week off school in February!
We should match the Cobb county school district calendar where Fall break is pulled up into September and there's also
a full week off in February.
Virtual or learn from home days are a waste, the children don’t learn and for working parents we are spending more
money to help our children learn or have to miss work. Stop with these pointless days.
Please consider not doing a week off for fall break or a second winter break. Childcare is very hard. It's worse to start
early and extend school after memorial day and camps are available.
The 2nd Winter Break is not needed. They are just getting back from the real winter holiday. Let the kids get used to
instructional time.e
More virtual student days should be added.
Why are we just now having this conversation?
How will the DCSD School Testing Calendar be adjusted to ensure schooks have enough time to train and oreoare for
testing and students have enough tine to teat, eapecially students that may be absent for the 1st administration of
examinations?
Thank you for offering breaks during the year.
It would be very helpful for parents if the dates of graduation ceremonies could be released earlier in the year. Thanks!
Please do not have an additional week long break in February. This is a huge burden on families. If you are insisting on a
weeklong break in October that is already one burden that we will have to bear. Either families have to find alternate
child care or children are unsupervised.
As a student I don’t want a full week break in February because I just sit around and do nothing. I would like school to
end earlier at the end of the year because I have a job in the summer and if we end later, I can’t do my job.

Agenda Item