What do you think about starting the school year earlier? Newport-Mesa district wants to know
The Newport-Mesa Unified School District is seeking public input on shifting the academic year up to three weeks before Labor Day for students in seventh through 12th grade.
A district fact sheet lists benefits of an earlier start date, including allowing for additional instruction time before Advanced Placement testing, more opportunities for internships, summer jobs and camps, and opportunities for high school seniors to take part in year-end events.
“While many of the benefits are geared toward high school students, eventually all students will be at the high school level,” district spokeswoman Annette Franco said in an email.
Concerns about starting school earlier in the summer are addressed with the plan to install air conditioning in all schools. Seventeen of 32 schools have air conditioning.
Next summer, six more schools will receive air conditioning, leaving nine for subsequent years, Franco said.
A committee of certificated and classified staff, parents and district administrators will help create and assess possible calendar options before making a recommendation.
If the new calendar is approved, the earliest it could be implemented is the 2019-20 school year.
Four informational meetings will take place throughout the district starting next month. An online survey will also be available Nov. 1 to 15 on the district website.
Meetings
Nov. 1: 3:30 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m.: Newport Harbor High School gymnasium, 600 Irvine Ave.
Nov. 24: 5:30 p.m., Costa Mesa High School theater, 2650 Fairview Road.
Nov. 6: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Corona del Mar High School lecture hall, 2101 Eastbluff Drive.
Nov. 8: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Estancia High School gymnasium, 2323 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa.
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