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Why Are We Exploring This?

Why is Monett Schools Considering a 150-Day Calendar?

It started by listening. Monett Schools did not begin this work with a goal of reducing the number of school days. The exploration began by listening to staff and looking closely at how the district could better support students.

Through conversations with teachers and staff, several common needs continued to surface. Staff expressed a desire for more opportunities to provide additional support to students who need it, create enrichment opportunities for students who are ready for more, personalize learning, and use instructional time more intentionally.

Staff also identified a need for greater flexibility within the school year and for structures that can help Monett Schools continue to attract and retain high-quality staff.

 

The question became: Could we use time differently?

 

Monett Schools Vision States

“Every learner grows through personalized instruction, future-ready skills, and strong relationships.”

From Vision to Exploration

As we considered the needs identified by our staff and our vision for students, we began asking whether a different use of time could help us better accomplish those goals.

A different calendar structure could potentially create more opportunities for: 

  • Focused intervention: Providing additional support without routinely pulling students away from other learning.
  • Enrichment and acceleration: Creating opportunities for students who are ready to go further.
  • Personalized learning: Matching support and opportunities more closely to individual student needs.
  • More intentional use of instructional time: Protecting essential learning while reducing competing demands during the traditional school day.
  • Flexibility for students and staff: Creating a structure that gives schools additional options for responding to student needs throughout the year.
  • Staff recruitment and retention: Exploring ways to remain competitive in attracting and keeping high-quality educators.

What is the District Exploring?

Our current academic calendar includes approximately 180 school days. As part of this work, the district is exploring whether a 150-day academic calendar, paired with a different structure for intervention, enrichment, professional learning, and other student opportunities, could help us use time more effectively.

The 150-day calendar itself is not the goal. It is one strategy we are studying as we consider a larger question:

Could a different structure improve opportunities for students while creating a workable, sustainable instructional system for Monett Schools?

We Are Still Exploring. 

No decision has been made to change the academic calendar, and our calendar will not change this school year. There are also many questions that must be carefully studied, including academics, childcare, transportation, meals, student activities, family schedules, staffing, finances, and equitable access to opportunities. That is why this is an exploration process. District staff, design teams, families, and community members will help us identify opportunities, concerns, and challenges before any decision is considered. Monett Schools currently follows a traditional school calendar, similar to many school districts across Missouri. Students attend school approximately 180 days each year, generally Monday through Friday, from late August through May. The calendar also includes traditional breaks throughout the year, including Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break, along with other scheduled days when school is not in session. This traditional calendar has served as the structure for how we organize instruction, intervention, professional learning, and other school activities.

 

As we began listening to staff and discussing ways to provide students with additional support and opportunities, we started asking an important question: Could we organize those days and opportunities differently to better meet the needs of our students? That question is what led us to begin exploring a potential 150-day academic calendar.