EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 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. <\/p>\n
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%. <\/p>\n
School days after Halloween and Easter also have low attendance according to Hernandez. <\/p>\n
“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. <\/p>\n
He suggests moving an existing staff development day, when students are not required to attend school, to these low-attendance days. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
The proposal has sparked mixed reactions on social media.<\/p>\n
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.” <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Elsa Rey Contreras pointed out, “But lots of staff is out on those days too, not just students.”<\/p>\n
The Ysleta ISD school board is set to decide on the proposal at its Dec. 10 board meeting. <\/p>\n
KFOX14\/CBS4 reached out to the district for further comment but did not receive a response in time for this report.<\/p>\n
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