Year-round schooling could be on the chopping block at CBE

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) is asking staff and parents if it should continue running year-round schools in the city.

The schools with the modified calendar begin each school year in the middle of August, wrapping up in late June.

Right now, 28 CBE schools rely on that schedule — a number that has grown over the past two decades.

However, the board is not sure they are necessary.

"Most of our families do attend their community school, and so within that, we recognize that some families may feel the modified (calendar) is challenging for their needs," said Andrea Holowka with the CBE.

Renukah Singh's son attends Cappy Smart School in northeast Calgary.

Like many parents, she enrolled her children there because of its proximity to home, not because of the modified calendar.

"Because it starts in the second week of August, and there is often something happening — usually weddings. Last year, he missed the first two weeks of school. I had a family wedding in B.C. to go to. So it does get hard when he misses that much," Singh said.

The CBE also says it is becoming more difficult to find people who want a year-round schedule to staff those schools.

"Those are some of the operational challenges we have with two calendars," Holowka said.

"We have some staff who have preference for one or the other and we want to make sure we have the staff with the most expertise in the schools that they're needed, and those aren't decisions driven by the calendar."

Mohammed Abukar's six-year-old son also attends Cappy Smart.

He says he likes the extended school year for his boy, who has special needs.

"We prefer him starting early with his needs," Abukar said.

"It worked out perfect for us. We like that idea of him starting early."

The Calgary Catholic School District abandoned its year-round school programs when the pandemic hit, with the exception of two schools that still operate on the modified calendar and are dedicated to students with special needs.

The CBE plans to have information sessions with affected families this fall to decide which schools, if any, should revert to the traditional calendar.

The decisions are expected to be finalized by early 2023, with changes taking effect for the next school year.