Recently, Aiken County School District has been discussing the possibility of implementing year-round schoolsfor the district. Other nearby districts such as Edgefield County have also created a year-round school calendar. This new system would mean a shorter summer, but more frequent breaks during the school year.
Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools, Eric Jeffcoat says, “We are excited about the possibility of an innovative calendar to address the concerns of all stakeholders, especially teachers and students. With the pandemic there is a need for mental, emotional, and social breaks.”
Jeffcoat expounded upon the schedule, stating, “The modified calendar would basically give a two-week break after the 1st nine weeks, the normal two-week winter break around the end of the 2nd nine weeks, and a two-week break for the master'sweek which is usually near the end of the 3rd nine weeks. The new summer break would be about 6 weeks (about 1 and a half months) instead of 9 weeks (about 2 months).”
The school board is currently exploring the benefits of this type of schedule.
Jeffcoat says, “One benefit of a modified calendar is the possibility that during one week of each break there could be an opportunity for remediation and enrichment. Having breaks near the end of each nine weeks will allow everyone to relax and be refreshed for the new nine weeks.”
Aiken County Public School District is still conducting research concerning this possible schedule shift. They take special interest in the opinion of the community, and hope to release new information to the public regarding a decision soon.
Photo Credit: Contributed by Andrew Towner
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