Fort Bend ISD approves instructional calendar for 2024-25 school year
During its Jan. 22 meeting, the Fort Bend ISD board of trustees unanimously approved the instructional calendar for the 2024-25 school year.
In a nutshell
According to the Jan. 22 agenda packet, the 2024-25 instructional calendar includes:
A minimum of 75,600 operational minutes and at least 840 minutes designated for inclement weather or other issuesAn increase in daily instructional minutes by five minutesA traditional holiday structure that includes a week off for Thanksgiving, two weeks off for winter break and a week off for spring breakTwo inclement weather days
With the five additional instructional minutes, the district is also adjusting its bell schedule, according to the Jan. 22 agenda packet. The adjusted bell schedule is as follows:
Elementary level
8 a.m. start time3:20 p.m. end time
Middle level
8:50 a.m. start time4:10 p.m. end time
High school level
7:30 a.m. start time2:50 p.m. end time
Zooming in
The 2024-25 school year will begin on Aug. 8, 2024, and end on May 29, 2025, according to the approved draft. Holidays include:
Sept. 2Oct. 4Oct. 10-14Nov. 1Nov. 11Nov. 25-29Dec. 23, 2024-Jan. 3, 2025Jan. 20, 2025Feb. 17, 2025March 10-14, 2025March 31, 2025April 18, 2025April 21, 2025May 26, 2025
What they’re saying
During discussion, two board members expressed concern about the number of holidays worked into the calendar and the five additional instructional minutes.
Extending the instructional day by five to 15 minutes was one of the calendar committee’s guidelines for developing the calendar, according to the agenda packet.
“I don’t think the five minutes per day is going to make a great impact on our students,” trustee Angie Hanan said during the meeting. “Students are tired at the end of the day. … I am going to support the calendar as presented, and I do it with trepidation.”“The two concerns I have for this calendar is really the five minutes [of] extra time plus the holidays we have in October,” board President Judy Dae said. “That’s a lot of holidays.”In an email, FBISD Director of Strategic Communications Sherry Williams said the committee is comprised of community members, trustees, teachers, students, and campus and district leaders. The committee sets the guidelines based on feedback stakeholders in the district.
Learn more
View the documents from the Jan. 22 agenda below.
