Board moves ahead with exploration of balanced calendar model

The Surrey Board of Education has directed district staff to continue exploring a balanced calendar/tri-semester option as a potential way to ease capacity pressures.

The motion followed a presentation at the June 11 board meeting by Assistant Superintendents Neder Dhillon and Lynda Reeve on the balanced calendar/tri-semester model.
 
 During the presentation, Reeve and Dhillon shared a report exploring several alternatives to the traditional two-semester school year at both elementary and secondary schools.

“For our working purposes, we worked with the balanced calendar being an alternative to the traditional school calendar, a calendar designed to distribute breaks more evenly throughout the year,” said Dhillon.

“In the end, even though the calendar looks different, a balanced calendar would have the same number of school days.”

The report explored two scheduling models: a single-track calendar that would see all students and staff in a school or on vacation at the same time, and a multi-track calendar that would split the student and staff population into several cohorts, with at least one being on vacation at any given time.

While the single-track model would provide no benefit to school capacity, the multi-track model could allow a school to accommodate up to 30% more students.

While the latter option could allow for schools to accommodate more students throughout the year, Dhillon and Reeve noted that research was inconclusive on evidence of improving academic achievement, amongst other challenges.

“We found that a balanced calendar has the potential to create some disruptions for families,” said Dhillon. “We also found that athletics, band and other extracurricular scheduling could become more challenging.”

“We’re not looking at this because the public is asking for it.” said Trustee Bob Holmes. We’re not doing it because we think there are clear educational benefits, it’s really all about space and it’s incumbent on us to look at all solutions.”

With the resolution passed, staff will examine how a balanced calendar and tri-semester system could be implemented in Surrey Schools, including cost analysis, community impact assessments and thorough consultations with stakeholders.