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Check out the BCSD 2023-2024 Calendar Proposal

Families and community members of the Blaine County School District can now review the district’s 2023-24 calendar proposal. 
 
According to the proposal, the academic year would begin Wednesday, August 30, 2023, and the last day of school would be Thursday, June 6, 2024. The BCSD Board of Trustees will review the proposal later this month before taking action on it in March.
 
The calendar committee released an earlier draft in December and made several adjustments after reviewing community feedback. Specifically, the committee addressed the following concerns:
 
  • Concern: The proposed early release on Wednesday would be too difficult for elementary school families. 
  • Addressed: The committee reworked the schedule to prioritize minimizing the impact on elementary families, and the new proposal reduces the early release time to 30 minutes for elementary students. 
 
  • Concern: Adding instructional time in the mornings was not in the best interest of students. 
  • Addressed: At most schools, the adjusted time was added at the end of the school day. For elementary students, the total adjustment added to the schedule was eight minutes per day. 
 
  • Concern: There are not enough childcare options to allow for an early release. 
  • Addressed: The district will release secondary students first on Wednesdays to allow them to help provide care for younger siblings and offer additional labor support for childcare facilities. 
 
  • Concern: Winter break should be moved to the week before Christmas. 
  • Addressed: Winter break was moved to the week before Christmas. 
 
The district’s top priority is to improve student achievement. One of the most effective ways to do this is through professional learning communities (PLCs). To support PLCs, the district is building frequent, protected, district-wide collaboration time into the school schedule. 
 
BCSD has established a webpage with information and answers to frequently asked questions about how it is working to support student achievement throughout its schools. Learn more about PLCs, collaboration time, collective teacher efficacy, data assessment, decision making, and key research on this topic by visiting https://bit.ly/bcsdsupportingachievement. To view the proposed calendar, visit https://bit.ly/bcsd2324proposedcalendar.