EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Ysleta Independent School District Trustee Chris Hernandez is proposing moving days in the academic calendar to address low student and teacher attendance following major holidays.
Hernandez claims that attendance data shows a significant drop in student presence the day after events like the Super Bowl where attendance dropped from the district’s average of 94.19% to 91.77%.
School days after Halloween and Easter also have low attendance according to Hernandez.
Melissa Herrera reports on trustee proposes academic calendar adjustments to combat low attendance (Credit: KFOX14)
“We’ve done the math on the percentage there and that’s definitely tens of thousands of dollars being lost on each of those days,” Hernandez said.
He suggests moving an existing staff development day, when students are not required to attend school, to these low-attendance days.
Hernandez noted that last year, over 220 teachers called out the Monday after the Super Bowl, costing the district more than $23,000 in substitute pay.
“That doesn’t include the extra money being spent to hire substitute teachers because we also have a high call-in rate for teachers calling in that day,” he added.
The proposal has sparked mixed reactions on social media.
On Facebook, Pete Jimenez commented, “Actually makes sense. Right now we have our PD days at the end of an intercession on a Monday. Typically the Friday before any break has the low attendance.”
Meanwhile, Elsa Rey Contreras pointed out, “But lots of staff is out on those days too, not just students.”
The Ysleta ISD school board is set to decide on the proposal at its Dec. 10 board meeting.
KFOX14/CBS4 reached out to the district for further comment but did not receive a response in time for this report.
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