The Andalusia City Schools Board of Education approved the school’s 2023-24 school year calendar at the meeting on Monday.
One of the changes coming into next year’s calendar is the change of the number of days dedicated to professional development for teachers by reducing them from 8 half days to 4 full days. In the school year in which we are currently the students were dismissed midday to allow for professional development of teachers. In the coming year, students will not be in the school on those days but instead, they will be able to participate in online learning.
As per Director Dr. Daniel Shakespeare, the half-day schedule caused differences in release times for the elementary school and the high school. While Andalusia Elementary allowed students to leave around 11:30 a.m. However, the high school was not able to release pupils until around 12:30 p.m.
The calendar for 23-24 calls for the days of teacher education to be during the months of September December, November, February and April.
The superintendent explained that various calendar options were offered to teachers who decided to vote for the one they liked. The calendar that was approved by the board was favored by 57 percent of the teachers’ votes.
The school board approved the 23-24 calendar with a unanimity.
In another action the board ratified the following changes to its personnel.
- An absence leave for the teacher Erin Maddox.
- Resigning the third grade teacher Loran Rigdon as well as the high school English teacher Summer Lollar.
- Retirement benefits were approved for Diane Shavers and Ann Pugh Teachers in the third grade at AES. Both teachers have been within schools in the system. Shavers has taught for approximately 36 years, as does Pugh has been in the system for 38 years.
- The board also voted to solicit bids for the acquisition of an cafeteria refrigerator/cooler Andalusia Elementary School.
A meeting for the next session of the Andalusia BOE will be scheduled for April 17, Monday 6 p.m. In the Woodson Learning Center conference room.
The article Andalusia Board of Education accepts school calendar for 23-24 was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
