BROWNSTOWN
In the 2020-21 school year, Brownstown Central Community School Corp. students will be dismissed two hours early on six Fridays.
That will allow for staff members to participate in professional development.
During Tuesday night’s board of trustees meeting at the administration office, the consideration of early dismissal days received 6-0 approval. Trustee Dan Hall was absent.
The six days will be Aug. 28, Sept. 25, Nov. 13, March 5, April 23 and May 7.
After visiting two school corporations that have early dismissal days and engaging in a great deal of discussion, Superintendent Tim Taylor said the Brownstown Central Classroom Teachers Association shared its preference for the early dismissal days.
He said the professional development will be used for the integration of technology related to the corporation recently receiving a $50,000 Digital Learning-Community Advisory Grant from the Indiana Department of Education.
At the start of the new school year, there will be a corporationwide one-to-one initiative rollout, where students will have their own Chromebooks to use in the classroom and take home. This trimester, sixth-graders are piloting the initiative, and so far, that has been a smooth process, school officials say.
Some of the professional development will be related to safety, too.
“I really appreciate the association and the work we did on that,” Taylor said of the early dismissal proposal. “Paula (Workman) did a lot of work with that with gathering information from the constituents. I appreciate being able to work together.”
Board President Scott Shade said it sounds like a collective agreement and a good thing for the corporation.
Assistant Superintendent Jade Peters said the early dismissal days will allow staff members to have professional development as a group.
“We’ve got professional days they can take for that, but as a full group, we don’t really have those opportunities, so this is really going to add to that,” he said.
Trustees also approved the 2020-21 school calendar during Tuesday’s meeting. Staff members had been provided two calendar options, and nearly 70% chose the one presented at the meeting, Taylor said.
The first day of school for teachers will be Aug. 6, and students will start Aug. 7.
School will not be in session Sept. 7 for Labor Day, Oct. 12 through 16 for fall break, Nov. 25 through 27 for Thanksgiving break and Dec. 21 through Jan. 4 for Christmas break. Staff will return from Christmas break Jan. 4, and students will come back Jan. 5.
There will be no school Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), Feb. 15 (Presidents Day), April 10 (Good Friday), April 9 and April 12, but those could be used for makeup days if needed.
School also won’t be in session March 22 through 26 for spring break.
The last day of school for students is set for May 28. Commencement for the Class of 2021 will be May 29 in the high school gymnasium.
Also approved Tuesday night was the 2020 summer school calendar.
The first session from 8 a.m. to noon weekdays May 26 through June 19 will offer U.S History 1 and U.S. government for the high school and third grade reading for the elementary school. The second session from 8 a.m to noon weekdays June 22 through July 16 will include U.S. History 2. A combined session weekdays May 26 through July 16 will be for marching band and supervised agricultural experience.
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To view the 2020-21 school calendar for Brownstown Central Community School Corp., visit btownccs.k12.in.us/essentials/yearly-school-calendar.
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