Lincoln Public Schools would extend its fall break in October by one day under a proposal before the Lincoln Board of Education that comes amid unprecedented demands of the pandemic and a tight labor market.
The proposed calendar change, which the school board will consider Tuesday, would give students Tuesday, Oct. 19 off, in addition to the already scheduled off day on Monday.
Although not finalized, the district is considering using the extended break as a planning day for teachers to prepare for the second quarter.Â
The additional day off is a recognition of the hard work that teachers have had to put in amid the pressures of the pandemic and a shortage of substitutes, said Matt Larson, LPS associate superintendent of instruction.
"We want to make sure we give them an opportunity at the quarter break to take the time they need to plan for second quarter ... and to catch their breath," Larson said.
With a high rate of substitute slots going unfilled — more than 20% in some weeks — teachers have had to carve time out of their schedules they would otherwise use for planning to cover classes for absent teachers.
Teachers have also had to work extra hard to help catch students up who missed instruction because of quarantine for the coronavirus, Larson said.
This week, 741 students are in quarantine, along with 69 staff members. That number is markedly down from the 1,002 students in quarantine last week and 1,118 two weeks ago.Â
Elementary school students have made up the bulk of those forced to stay home because of contact tracing or a positive test. This week, 466 elementary school students are in isolation, down from 593 last week.
The district last week announced it would make recorded lessons available to elementary school students in an effort to keep them on track during quarantine.Â
With no hybrid learning model this year, students are not able to remote into class and are unable to participate in the district's remote learning program for full-time virtual students in grades K-8.
The extra day off would not affect the number of instructional hours students are required to have each year, nor would it impact LPS' snow days.Â
The calendar change isn't unprecedented, Larson said. The district added some early-out days and planning days last school year because of the pandemic.Â
The proposed calendar change at LPS is set for first reading at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting. The board could either choose to bypass the typical two-reading format and vote on the change Tuesday or wait to take a vote at its Oct. 12 meeting.
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