ACPS Needs Your Input on a Pre-Labor Day Start in August 2021

The Virginia General Assembly recently passed legislation to allow school divisions to begin school before Labor Day. ACPS considered this as an option for the 2020-21 school year but the timeline to make this change was just too short.

However, we want to explore this option again, with enough time to plan properly, for the 2021-22 school year. We need you to share your thoughts in a new survey — for the following school year, not this coming one — so that we can explore the option of an earlier start.

If we want to consider starting the school year prior to Labor Day in August 2021, we need to make that decision in the next few months so that the staff and community can plan for the change at least a year before implementation.

The pre-Labor day start is advantageous for student success because it reduces summer learning loss and provides the most classroom time before Advanced Placement (AP) exam testing. It also helps reduce the summer learning gap for all students, but particularly younger students.

Take the 2021-22 Academic Calendar Survey and select ONE of THREE options:

Option 1: Start Tuesday, September 7, 2021 – Download the Option 1 Calendar (PDF)
• School starts after Labor Day
• Two full weeks for Winter Break
• 180 Student days; 195 Teacher days
• Last day of school for students: June 22, 2022
• This calendar reflects our current practice of starting classes on the day after Labor Day.

Option 2: Start Thursday, August 26, 2021 – Download the Option 2 Calendar (PDF)
• Aligns with Loudoun County Public Schools
• School starts six days prior to Labor Day
• Four-day Labor Day weekend, with no school on Friday, September 3
• Two full weeks for Winter Break
• 180 Student days; 195 Teacher days
• Last day of school for students: June 15, 2022
• This calendar provides additional classroom time before Advanced Placement (AP) exam testing and reduces summer learning loss.

Option 3: Start Tuesday, August 24, 2021 – Download the Option 3 Calendar (PDF)
• Aligns with Fairfax County Public Schools
• School starts eight days prior to Labor Day
• Four-day Labor Day weekend, with no school on Friday, September 3
• Two full weeks for Winter Break
• 180 Student days; 195 Teacher days
• Last day of school for students: June 10, 2022
• This calendar provides the most classroom time before Advanced Placement (AP) exam testing and reduces summer learning loss.

The survey is also available in Spanish, Amharic and Arabic.

The survey will be available through Friday, January 24, 2020.

Once feedback has been received, the Academic Calendar Committee and ACPS administrators will evaluate the responses to determine the general sentiment to support a particular option. A calendar recommendation will be made to the superintendent.

The superintendent will present the recommended calendar to the School Board for approval at a meeting in February 2020. Once approved, the adopted calendars will be posted on the ACPS website and announced in ACPS Express, ACPS Insider and on social media.

Thank you in advance for participating in this calendar survey.

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