The Little Rock School Board voted Thursday to pay employees for the five January school days that they could not work and who faced making up the missed time later in the spring because of inclement winter weather that closed the campuses.
The board approved the one-time award of pay for the missed days -- which are labeled personal days -- at a special meeting in which it also approved a revised 2024-25 school year calendar. The newly approved calendar calls for students to start classes on Aug. 12 and end the school year on May 22, 2025.
Snow and freezing weather Jan. 16 through Jan. 22 affected roads and travel resulting in the schools being closed to students and employees Jan. 16-19 and Jan. 22, 2024.
In recent weeks, the district transitioned from a 178-day school year to a school year of at least 1,068 hours of instruction for students, making it unnecessary for students to have to make up the missed days at the end of this school year.
The board approval of paying employees for the five days now makes it unnecessary for the employees to make up the days at year's end when students will not be on campus.
Additionally, any employee who may have used their regular available leave time to remain in paid status before the board's resolution Thursday will be made whole. All such days will be restored to the affected employee.
SCHOOL CALENDAR
As for the student calendar for the upcoming 2024-25, the board approved a plan in which there will be 174 instructional days instead of the traditional 178 days. But the instructional time within those 174 days will exceed the 1,068 hours of state-required instruction.
Renee Kovach, district director of staff and talent management, told the board that the revised calendar was recommended by both the district administration and the Personnel Policy Committees of employees in the school system. The plan calls for a fall semester of 86 days and a spring semester of 88 days.
Superintendent Jermall Wright said the calendar plan provides more hours of instruction in the first, second and third quarters of the school year, which is when more rigorous instruction is likely in advance of the state required testing in math, literacy and science in the spring.
The board voted 7-1 in support of the calendar. Board member Anna Strong voted against the calendar, saying in part that it is too late this year to change the start of school dates as families have already made plans and paid for summer camps, vacations and other activities for what will now be school days.
Board member Vicki Hatter questioned whether it would benefit students to have 178 days of instruction.