2023-2024 School Calendar Survey

The UTD/ M-DCPS Calendar Committee has met and drafted calendar options for the 2023-2024 school year.  Please review the calendar options prior to completing this survey.

The Calendar Committee makes these recommendations based on state statutes, contractual requirements, testing calendars, and previous survey results from the membership during the last ten+ years. 

All calendars include Fall Break as adopted for the 2022-2023 school year.

Both calendar options meet all state requirements and match winter and spring recess to that proposed in Broward. 

The calendars have different start dates.  'A' has students starting 8/17 and 'B' has students starting 8/21 (same as Broward).

Winter break starts late in both drafts.  If it started a week earlier, it would mean that employees would be required to return to work on January 1st which is the Federal Holiday for New Year's Day in 2024.  Working January 1st would create a contractual problem for UTD and all other bargaining units as well as a problem with the community.  We have inserted a Planning Day on 12/22 to make the late start date for Winter Recess a little easier.

We ask that you review each of the calendar options that apply to you.  We have questions asking about A versus B. 

The Committee considered multiple options related to planning days and the required PD Days.  The issue that we expect to generate the most controversy is the lack of regular planning days at the end of the grading periods.

We have discussed this issue with M-DCPS.  The drafts vary slightly in regard to planning days.  Both have a PD day on 10/27 instead of a regular planning day in order to provide the planning day before Winter Break.  Draft 'A' also takes the planning day from 1/19 and places it on the Friday before Spring Break.  Draft 'B' keeps a planning day on 1/19 and does not have a planning day on the Friday before Spring Break. 

Planning days and/or recess days are placed to cover major religious holidays where attendance would be lower.  In order to avoid loss of funding/ learning loss for lower attendance, the Committee has accommodated as many of these holidays as practical.  Historically, the unit has supported this type of distribution of planning days and it also matches Broward's calendar which impacts a good number of M-DCPS employees with children in Broward County Schools.

 

The Calendar Committee will review survey results.  In addition to the results of the specific questions asked, the UTD members on the committee will review every single comment submitted. 

If the survey results indicate support of the recommended calendar(s), we will move forward to School Board approval.  If the survey results indicate a need for changes, we will address those issues and move forward appropriately. 

 

UTD Membership Matters!  In many counties, School Board's unilaterally determine the calendar without employee input.  Thank your UTD colleagues for securing and maintaining your right to have a voice in the design of the school calendar.