The Hot Springs School District uses a non-traditional school calendar in an effort to improve learning

Hot Springs, Arkansas – While most parents and children in the state are getting ready for the upcoming academic year, around twelve districts are experimenting with a new non-traditional timetable.

With the implementation of a non-traditional timetable, the Hot Springs School District will essentially operate year-round.

Although returning to school early caused some mixed feelings, several pupils, like Renee Nduku and Abigail Hedrick, claimed they weren’t too angry about it.

“I’m happy to be back, but I didn’t have a great summer because I was working so much,” Hedrick remarked.

It was challenging since some of my classmates who attend different schools are still in the summer, but Nduku remarked, “I just have to look forward because we get our first break in September and I am super excited.”

The district maintains the same number of school days—178—as does the regular calendar. They will conclude on June 6 after a seven-week summer break and sporadic breaks all year long. They began on July 29.

The objective, according to Superintendent Stephanie Nehus, is to raise academic attainment. According to Nehus, “The summer slide is real; students who miss two or three months of school do lose skills during that time.”

According to Nehus, a poll revealed that 70% of their employees supported the change, although parents expressed concerns about child care during the breaks, causing the district to introduce kid enrichment camps and expand its alternatives for childcare.

She stated that the modification has been planned for a few years, and they are pleased to have the pupils arrive a little early.

It’s always hot when school starts in mid-August, but when it starts in July, the heat is felt for longer. The district claimed that in order to ensure that children would always have access to cold drinks, they bought sizable containers that they could fill with ice.