Big changes on tap in new HISD calendar
The Houston ISD school board is expected to vote on an academic calendar this week that would start the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 12 and end the year on June 4.
The district on Wednesday shared with families the final version of the proposed academic calendar, which would extend the school year to 180 days if approved. The proposal comes after the district’s Board of Managers voted in December to make HISD a District of Innovation, allowing the district to start the school year earlier than the fourth Monday of August.
The final calendar comes after the district sought input earlier this year on two different draft versions of the calendar, which both proposed a start date in mid-August and an end date in early June. The appointed school board is expected to consider and vote on approving the final version of the calendar during their regular meeting Thursday.
The proposed final calendar has few differences from the two draft proposals floated earlier this year, although it would move the fall holiday initially scheduled on Oct. 11 to Oct. 4 and shift the scheduled staff professional development day in October from Oct. 10 to Oct. 3.
The change comes after some Jewish Houston residents had urged the district to have a school holiday during one of the two High Holidays, which are the two most significant holidays in the Jewish faith.
The district had originally scheduled a fall holiday on Oct. 11, which is when Yom Kippur begins. However, Yom Kippur begins during sundown on Oct. 11, meaning that the religious holiday would have begun after the school day ended.
The second High Holiday — Rosh Hashanah, which marks the start to the Jewish New Year — begins on sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and ends at nightfall on Friday, Oct. 4. Under the new calendar proposal, students will not have to attend class during either holiday.
The final version of the calendar still includes a spring holiday on April 18, which is Good Friday, a Christian holiday commemorating Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Each option also has a school holiday on March 31 to honor labor leaders César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, which also provides students and employees with a day off for Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday.
The proposal would slightly modify the dates scheduled for summer school this year, moving the start date to June 17 and end date to July 19. In 2025, summer school would begin on June 16 and end on July 23.
The calendar also would give students and employees a full week off in November from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29, a two week winter break from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3 and a weeklong spring break from March 10 to 14. It would provide students with 11 total holidays and schedule nine staff development days scheduled throughout the year.
Under the proposal, induction and preparation for school leaders would begin July 22 and end July 29. New staff would have to attend induction from July 30 to 31, while all staff would attend induction and preparation from Aug. 1 to Aug. 9.
In a message to families, HISD said the calendar represents the priorities and values of the broader district community and reflects feedback from more than 4,000 people. The district also received input from the District Advisory Committee, Principal Advisory Committee and Teacher Advisory Committee.
“For the first time in many years, the District will have a calendar that puts kids first and provides the learning time our students need,” the message said.