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Status Updates | Timeline | Community Engagement | FAQ | Information Resources
Dec. 3: School Board Approves 2021-22 School Year Calendar
- 2021-22 Approved Calendar (*Note: HS graduation is actually June 16, 2022)
Nov. 17 Superintendent’s Proposed Calendar presented to the School Board for information
- Nov. 17 – School Board Presentation
Overview
APS is seeking community input from families, staff, and community members related to the draft 2021-22 School Year Calendar. A survey was available from October 19, 2020-October 30, 2020. The Calendar Committee met in September to discuss a first draft option and provide input. The calendar committee is composed of the following members:
- Representatives from Elementary, Middle and High School Principals
- Representatives from the Arlington Education Association (teachers and support staff)
- Four representatives from the County Council of PTAs
- Representatives from central office departments including: Transportation, Extended Day, Food Services, Teaching and Learning, Information Services, and Human Resources
Status Updates
- October 19 – Draft Calendar posted
- October 19 – Survey launched
- Nov. 17 – School Board Presentation
Timeline
| Date | Activity |
| September | Calendar Committee meets to review first draft of calendar. |
| October 12-October 30 | Human Resources presents information on the calendar development process and draft calendar to internal and external stakeholders |
| October 19-30 | Calendar Survey is open |
| November 2 | Calendar Committee meets to review input |
| November 17 | Superintendent’s Proposed Calendar presented to the School Board for information | Option 1 | Option 2 |
| December 3 | Superintendent’s Proposed Calendar tentatively scheduled for School Board action |
Community Engagement
The community may provide input regarding the calendar in this survey (translation is available through the survey tool).
FAQ
Will APS recommend a pre-Labor Day start again this year?
Yes, this calendar proposes a start prior to Labor Day. The start to the 2020-2021 school year was scheduled to be prior to Labor Day, but was moved in order to allow staff to better prepare to deliver distance learning due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The school year starts a full week earlier than the 2020-2021 school year was originally proposed to start, but ends close to the same time.
Why doesn’t it end earlier?
Because APS will recognize four additional holidays and restore two full days for elementary parent-teacher conferences, that time must be made up somewhere.
Why is it important to align calendars to neighboring jurisdictions?
Fifty-two percent of APS staff live outside of Arlington. Being out of alignment with our neighbors means that staff who have school-aged children are more likely to miss work due to those schedules. Aligning our schedules reduces the need for substitute teachers and ensures our staff is able to deliver high quality instruction.
How does APS account for snow days?
The draft calendar provides for 179 student attendance days. The Code of Virginia and Virginia Department of Education require either 180 days of attendance or 990 hours of attendance. Historically, APS exceeds the required number of hours, and we use those hours in lieu of “make-up days.”
Information Resources
- Stakeholder presentation (coming soon)
- Development of the 2020-21 School Year Calendar