Dallas School District Board Prepares To Vote On Extending The School Calendar Year
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) school board will vote Thursday on a new calendar that could push the end of the school year to mid-June.
Under the proposal, classes would begin three weeks later than scheduled on September 8. And the last day of school would move back three weeks as well -- from May 28 to June 18.
The district would remove two holidays in October for the now cancelled State Fair and add a holiday on Election Day.
At a listening session Monday night, DISD District 3 Trustee Dan Micciche thought parents and teachers were focused on fears about the safety of children and staff.
A hospice worker named Camille, whose husband drives big rigs transporting food and water, worried her 1st and 3rd grader wouldn't be able to keep up with online learning.
"A 70 year old woman keeps them, that [sic] still uses a flip phone. Like, I don't know…" she said. "I don't think some of the people on the board are thinking real-life, logistics."
Teachers shared their concern of falling ill.
"I have kidney disease and I have a breathing condition, asthma…" said educator Ronny Swank.
A military veteran who teaches middle school, Swank said his dream is to be back in the classroom. "But, I'm so scared, sir, to go back under bad conditions," he said. "I made my wife a promise that when I walk in that classroom, if I don't feel safe, I am simply going to walk out."
The DISD plans to release a detailed back-to-school plan this week. It will include the precautions the district plans to take when students return to campus.