Longer School Days Ahead For Arlington ISD Students
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ARLINGTON (CBS11) - Arlington parents are hoping a few extra minutes in school every day will mean their students are out for summer break days earlier. The school district is about to lengthen its school days hoping to either provide a buffer in case weather-related school closures are needed or give everyone an early summer break.
When kids go to school they're literally on the clock. Their school year isn't over until the school has clocked 17,600 minutes of student time. Arlington is hoping it can push all those minutes into a shorter school year.
Ask a sixth grader like Haley Espinoza how they feel about spending an extra nine minutes in school every day.
"Um, I don't like it, because I don't want to be in school more!" Espinoza exclaimed.
But, when she was asked if she'd like summer break to start two days early and she yelled, "Oh yeah!"
Arlington is taking advantage of the fact the state doesn't measure a school year in days, it measures it in minutes. Arlington is adding nine minutes to the school day for junior high and elementary students starting this week. By the end of the year, students will have earned enough time to replace two possible snow days.
So, here's how the math works out. Each school day is considered 420 minutes long. There are 98 days left in the school year. So, multiply that by the nine extra minutes a day and it comes out to 882 minutes, roughly two days after subtracting some time for half days.
"If we don't have weather this year then we will get out earlier, we'll get out a couple days earlier," said district spokesperson Leslie Johnston. "But if we do have bad weather we won't have to make them up."
And parents like how that adds up.
"No, that's okay," said Haley's mother Marlie Espinoza. "That's alright! I don't mind that at all. It's okay with me!"
Arlington has already decided to make the changes permanent for next year. Other school districts are following suit.
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