SPOKANE, Wash. — It is the second day of school for Spokane Public School students, but parents are already thinking about next year as the district is moving to a balanced calendar.
The new schedule would add two full weeks off for SPS students. Students will start school before Labor Day. The district believes that will help prevent summer learning loss. They will also have two more week-long breaks during the school year.
“It allows smaller breaks for kids that need to catch up. It allows a break for teachers. These are hard jobs. It allows breaks for them too,” said Nikki Lockwood, president of the Spokane Public School Board.
One parent expressed concerns about how the new schedule will affect single or working parents who already have a hard time navigating the breaks during the school year.
“I really don’t like the balanced calendar,” said Kayla Wambold, who has two kids in Spokane Public Schools. “I am a single mom and we just established a parenting plan. It doesn’t have any other new breaks in it.”
Wambold has two kids and carefully planned out who is looking after them throughout the year. But the change from SPS means she will have to go back to the drawing board.
“I’m very grateful for my family who can watch my kids. But a lot of families can’t, and they structure their work schedule around the school schedule. And a lot of jobs can’t cater to the school calendar,” Wambold said.
The school district says it knows it will take some time for families to adjust to this change. SPS says it will spend this year working to address different families’ needs as it moves to the balanced calendar model.
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