Most community members in the Fort Worth ISD want a traditional school calendar for the upcoming year, according to the district's survey results released Wednesday.
Nearly 35,000 surveys were completed in two weeks by stakeholders, including parents, teachers, staff, students and administrators. Respondents answered questions on online learning, back-to-school planning and the district calendar.
Respondents voted 52% in favor of the current traditional calendar as opposed to the intersessional (year-round) calendar with extended breaks in the fall, winter and spring.
“We very much appreciate the participation of parents, students, educators, and community members in our survey,” said Superintendent Kent P. Scribner in a statement. “And, in the future, should we consider a different academic calendar, we would do that in a well thought out and planned way.”
The planning continues for what the fall semester will look like.
“It is our goal to bring students and teachers back for in-person instruction, but we have to do that in a thoughtful and safe way,” Scribner said.
Of the 34,874 surveys submitted, families, students, and teachers favored the traditional calendar, 55% to 45%. Central administration preferred the intersession calendar, 69% to 31% and campus principals, 60% to 40%, respectively.
Last week, Scribner told WFAA that in order to keep kids six feet apart from each other, classroom capacity would be cut in half. A room that held 25 students last year will hold 12 to 13 kids this coming school year.
For the youngest students, Scribner says there will most likely be much more face time.
“The early childhood portion — our kindergarten, first- and second-grade — it's my belief that they need to be coming to school every day. That's a difficult age to instruct online,” he said.
Scribner says everything is subject to change.
