001Is Fairfax County's school calendar doing more harm than good? Well, one school board member says yes, calling it too disruptive and fragmented for families. >> Well, today there's a big vote that could shake things up. Marcella Robertson joins us now with what's on the table. Marcella? Yeah, good morning to you both. Good morning to you at home. There's been a lot of talk about this. Some parents and school board members say the current school calendar has too many holidays and too many early release days. They say that disrupts student learning and according to school data, just over half of the weeks this year are full 5-day school weeks making it difficult for families to maintain consistent routines. So, here's what's on the table for tonight's vote. If approved, students would go to school on Indigenous
002Peoples Day and Veterans Day this upcoming school year. There would also be no more than four early release days per school year allowed. Now, several school board members who have proposed these changes argue the early dismissals disrupt routines, force parents to have to pay for child care, and as parents constantly having to adjust their work schedules. Keep in mind, this is without any snow days that might come up. These proposed changes are just part of the frustration about the school calendar. Fairfax County also has the shortest summer compared to school districts in our region. Back in 2021, like many school districts in our area, FCPS decided to start school before Labor Day. The end of the year was expected to shift to May instead of June, but that never happened and now students and teachers
003have essentially lost two weeks of their summer break. And while that is also a big part of the discussion, tonight's vote really focuses on those two holidays and the early release days. We'll certainly be following this vote closely and we'll bring you the very latest.