Broken Arrow school board OK’s compromise ‘hybrid’ instructional calendar

Written By: John Dobberstein

(BROKEN ARROW, Okla.) The Broken Arrow Board of Education unanimously approved a proposed “hybrid” instructional school calendar Monday that retains a 5-day school week but adds additional off days in the second semester.

Read this story on Broken Arrow Sentinel here. 

The calendar, approved for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years, incorporates strategic adjustments that the school district feels will “better support students and staff.” This includes earlier release times for elementary students, more breaks in the second semester to promote student and staff mental health, a fixed end date to the school year and a reduction in distance learning days from 8 to 6.

A Hybrid School Calendar Committee, bringing together nearly 130 parents, staff members and students to review data, had been appointed to consider potential impacts and develop recommendations.

The committee was divided into six subcommittees — Elementary Instruction, Secondary Instruction, Special Education, Support Services, Student Activities, and Human Resources and Finance.

The groups examined key details in their respective areas and the overall impact on school operations. They spoke to local school districts currently using a four-day model, as well as districts across the nation that are more comparable in size to BAPS. 

BAPS Supt. Chuck Perry said recently of the hybrid option that for a district of Broken Arrow’s size – with more than 20,000 students – changing to a 4-day model is “just too big a lift to accomplish in a short time. It may be something we revisit in the future, but for now, we believe the hybrid proposal is a better fit for our community.”

Survey Results Were Clear

A recent survey of about the shortened week found that 71% respondents preferred a traditional 175-day instructional calendar based on a 5-day school week. About 72% of which were parents and guardians of students. About 15% were BAPS employees.

Some 70% of those taking the survey said that if a traditional academic calendar was retained, they would like to see more frequent breaks during the second semester. Strong feelings were also shared about distance learning days. When asked whether students received valuable instruction during distance learning days, 72% of participated said they disagreed or strongly disagreed. 

In October, 46% surveyed by BAPS said they were not in favor of the hybrid week, and last February 49% were not.

BAPS employees who responded to the most recent survey generally were more supportive of a 4-day week, distance learning and added breaks in the second semester. 

BAPS has said the idea of a hybrid calendar came during a series of community surveys and as information gathering began district leadership began identifying challenges and opportunities associated with the proposal. BAPS said schools across the nation have been experimenting with hybrid and four-day calendars for many reasons, one of which is teacher recruitment and retention. 

Some schools have also been able to increase student engagement through unique extracurricular options on the “off day,” or improve academic performance by using the “off day” as a time for targeted intervention, such as tutoring with students who face challenges. 

Mental health continues to be a challenge for both students and staff in a post-Covid world, “and some districts have reported an improvement in mental health among students as evidenced by fewer absences, less bullying and fewer disciplinary issues,” BAPS has said. 

Board member Jerry Denton made a motion to approve the hybrid calendar (seconded by board member Brandy Roulet), admitting he wasn’t a “big advocate” of proposed changes, but he changed his mind after hearing many different perspectives in the community. He does not view hybrid calendar as simply a teacher recruitment tool.

Board Member Steve Allen said, “light was given to the issue of teacher shortages” during the in-depth discussions about school calendars, which he said were very emotional and ranked up there with redistricting debates he’s been a part of. The teacher shortage at BAPS is serious, he admits, “and we can’t continue to do everything like we have done it and have different results.”

Perry said the calendar changes will not, “check the box for every single person, but it’s a compromise.” Amanda Hunley, a multi-age pre-K teacher at BAPS, and a member the elementary subcommittee studying the hybrid calendar, addresses the BA Board of Education Monday. She has two boys in BAPS and her husband also teachers in the district.