By Jeremy A. Corley
Managing Editor
Van Alstyne schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Seay said this week's flex calendar informational metings were beneficial for the district.
"There were some legitimate issues and concerns raised that, had we not had those two meetings, wouldn't have been raised," Seay said.
At February's regular school board meeting, Seay presented the board with a proposed district calendar for the 2010-11 school year that included the optional flexible year program (OFYP), or the flex calendar.
The flex calendar allows students to be exempted from as many as 10 of the state-mandated 180 annual days of class through academic performance and test scores. Attendance and discipline also would be used to determine days off.
Days off for students in grades 5 through 12 would be divided into two tiers.
Tier 1 would assign a core subject area such as language arts or math to each Friday in February. A student who had a grade average of 90 or above in that core subject, passing scores on state tests and an appropriate attendance and disciplinary record could have a given Friday off.
The students who did not qualify for days off would participate in intensive instruction in a day's assigned core subject.
Tier 2 would allow students to have six days off at the end of the school year with passing averages in all core subjects, passing scores on state tests and appropriate attendance and disciplinary track records.
The school board wanted to get more feedback from the community on the proposed calendar, so informational meetings were set up for Tuesday and Wednesday this week. About 20 people attended Tuesday's meeting, with 13 more showing up Wednesday.
Parents, teachers and community members also can express their views for or against the option through an online survey located on the district Web site.
Seay said the meetings provided several issues taht will be addressed by the supeirntendent's advisory committee at its next meeting Tuesday.
One issue the panel will discuss will be whether to lower the Tier 1 grade average requirement of 90.
Committee members also will discuss what should happen with students who are enrolled in a specific core course. Under the current proposal, a student who is not enrolled in a certain core course cannot qualify for the subject's Tier 1 day off.
Some parents also expressed concern about a stigma being associated with students who do not qualify for Tier 2 days off.
Seay said the proposal has met mostly with support so far.
"In most cases, once people can see the rationale behind it and the work that's been done, they've been supportive," he said. "We do welcome their feedback."