The Brownwood ISD School Board unanimously approved the school calendar for the 2015/2016 school year Monday night.

The calendar was recommended by the BISD Site Based Committee with very few changes over the current calendar.    The only change is for a student holiday on January 18, 2016 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day instead of President’s Day, which is the opposite of the current year’s calendar.   BISD Superintendent Reece Blincoe said that the district rotates each year between the two dates for student holidays, which are also staff development days.

For the 2015/2016 school calendar, the first day of school will be August 24th with staff and student holidays on Thanksgiving – Nov. 25-27, Christmas – Dec. 21- Jan. 1, Spring Break – March 7-11, Good Friday – March 25 and Memorial Day – May 30.   The last day of school will be May 26, 2016.    Student only holidays will include Oct. 5, Jan. 4, and Jan. 18.

Blincoe said that there are currently two bills filed through the state legislature that could give school district’s more flexibility for the first day of school.  If passed, the school calendar could be adjusted, depending on the bill that passes.   He said that one such bill calls for school starting three days earlier which could free up additional holidays on the calendar.

“We wanted to adopt this school calendar now and adjust it accordingly if needed,” Blincoe told the school board members.

In other matters addressed at Monday’s Brownwood ISD School Board meeting:

*BISD School Board approved the financial audit for the 2013-2014 school year.

*BISD School Board approved changes to the TASB-initiated Localized Policy Manual regarding the teacher evaluation process.

*BISD School Board approved a significant change at the Brownwood Accelerated High School (BAHS) starting with the 2015/2016 school year.  Details of the change include:

Recommended changes that were approved Monday:

1. It is recommended that Brownwood Accelerated High School (BAHS) be reconfigured for the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.

2. Students who fit the current BAHS profile would now attend Brownwood High School (BHS) and be served in a “school within a school” model. This new plan would ensure students receive the current benefits of the BAHS campus (smaller classes and more individualized instruction), but would also allow students access to programs at BHS.

3. “Night School” would continue to function as is on the BAHS campus, along with the addition of a “Day School” that follows the same format.

4. “Day School” hours would be 8:00 am to Noon.

5. “Night School” hours would be 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Logistics:

1. The current teachers at BAHS would move to the BHS campus.

2. The principal at BAHS would remain as the director of the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) and DAEP would remain in its current location.

3. The principal at BAHS would oversee both the night, and the day schools.

4. The principal at BAHS would become the District Testing Coordinator.