A bill to give school systems the option to have year-round school awaits debate on the House floor. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley said there are several reasons it could help students because traditionally students can lose 30-percent of what they learned in the previous grade over the summer.
“I just believe that we should continue to explore options to do better for our kids, and our parents, and our educators, and our state as a whole,” said Brumley.
Brumley said only 46-percent of students are mastering content when they leave third grade and in eighth grade, only 28-percent are on mastery level in math.
Brumley said it’s a pilot program option, approved by the board and BESE, and they will assist systems with building a year-round calendar, He said they hope to use stimulus money to assist with additional programs.
“Kids will be able to have access to teachers for additional instructional minutes, additional opportunities around electives and enrichment and those types of things, and of course seeing additional mentors over that period of time,” said Brumley.
Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds expressed concern to Brumley about changes to a year-round school year and the effects it could have on family time spent over summer break.
“Is there a place for the families to respond?” Edmonds asked.
“It is an opt-in, systems go through a process on how they determine their calendar which usually includes the vote of faculty members, and parents and all that. So, we would assume that those things would continue,” said Brumley.
The Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Educators oppose House Bill 528.
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