Manassas Schools Calendar Proposes Late Starts

Manassas students will show up two hours late for school on six days in the next school year — on purpose.

Snow storms may have delayed school starts this winter, but it'll be part of the proposed schedule in the 2013-2014 school year for Manassas City Public Schools.

The proposal has been forwarded out of the district's Calendar Committee and presented Tuesday to the school board for its consideration on April 9. 

The reason for the proposed two-hour delays comes from a lack of planning time for teachers to meet together to address student performance and improvement plans, said Michaelene Meyer, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.

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"In the existing calendar, it's very hard to build in that extra time," she told the school board on Tuesday. Currently, teachers are asked to come in early or work late to have these meetings.   

Meyer said the committee weighed early releases, a more common option used by other school districts. But the committee decided early release would be more taxing on transportation and would make it difficult for students to return to school later in the afternoon for sporting events and after-school programs.

The calendar includes six days spread over the year that will be set for two-hour delayed starts. Meyers stressed these will be structured days for teachers to get the most out of the time. 

"These will be planned by principals around the school improvement strategy," she said.