Crosby ISD seeking shorter school year from state

By BOBBY HORN JR.

CROSBY — If the Crosby ISD Board of Trustees and the Texas Education Agency give their blessings, students will have two less days of instruction in the upcoming school year.

The district is seeking waivers from the state which would allow them to begin the fall semester two days earlier and to reduce the number of instruction from the state mandated 180 days to 178 days.

Dr. Don Hendrix, superintendent of the district, said that when the calendar committee made the recommendation for 2004-2005 they asked for two days less of instruction for students. These two days, he said, will be used for staff development. In order to keep the Fall and Spring semesters within 10 days in length of each other, Hendrix said that it would be necessary to start the Fall semester earlier.

Under state law, a district cannot begin classes before the week in which Aug. 21 falls. Crosby ISD would like to begin classes on Aug. 12.

Hendrix said that this is not an unusual request and that it would bring Crosby in line with other districts such as Galena Park, Sheldon and Goose Creek, which have opted to reduce student instruction days for staff development.

The district is scheduled to have a public hearing on the earlier starting date on March 22, when the board is expected to vote on the issue. If the board approves the waver request, Hendrix said, they should have little problem with TEA signing off as well.