Legislation to make school days longer

Old system measured days, new system measures minutes

SAN ANTONIO – Texas House Bill 2610 is will make the days for some Texas students longer. 

The legislation changes how schools measure the amount of time Texas students spend in school. Whereas time requirements spent in the classroom used to measure by days, as of Aug. 22, 2016, the new time measurement will be referred to in minutes. The 180-day school year as the standard will be replaced by a 75,600-minute school year.

Nicole Meurett, a teacher at Rita K. Driggers Elementary, said the change likely won't be a big deal.

"I don't foresee it as a problem as long as they do it in the smaller increments," she said.

Meurett, is also a parent of three who has two children attending the same school where she teaches, said she actually likes the change.

"The longer time there is in school the more time there is to learn.  That's how I see it."

Northside Independent School District spokesman Pasqual Gonzalez said the change felt like it came somewhat out of the blue.

"For reasons unbeknownst to us, the state Legislature voted in the last legislative session to change from number of days that kids are in school, to number of minutes.  We're still baffled by that but we have to obey the law. There really should be no impact at all.​"

Jennifer Smith, a third-grade teacher at Driggers Elementary, pointed out that next year's five minute increase will be followed by yet another five minute increase the following 2017-18 school year.

"Northside ISD is going be phasing in 10 minutes over the next two years to bank time in case we ever have inclement weather days or school's canceled for any other reason," she said. 

Pasqual Gonzalez concurred, basically saying the main idea is to make it easier to work with unplanned weather days.  

"Really what this does is this allows the district to bank hours in case of some bad weather make up days that we don't have on the calendar," Gonzales said.

For more details click on the link (pdf).