APS votes against adding 10 days to school year

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On Wednesday night, APS board members decided not to extend the school year 10 days for the entire district in a 4-3 vote.

The decision was reached after more than two dozen parents, teachers, and students spoke during public comment. The majority of those speakers were against the proposal that would not only extend the school year from 178 days to 188 days, but also add 90 minutes of class time to kindergarten through fifth-grade classes.

A few board members explained their decision, saying that they’ve received so many emails and calls from concerned parents asking for them to vote ‘No’ on the proposal.

There were a handful of speakers that said this needs to be implemented to give teachers more lesson planning time. They also discussed the extra learning time and benefits to students, especially because of the lost class time during the pandemic.

If APS added 10 days to the school year, the first day of classes would be July 27, and classes would end on May 25.

Currently, the school year is 178 days long. The national average is actually 180 days, and more than 30 states require their school year to have at least 180 days in the classroom.

The APS board has considered making this change for the last few years, but it was always voted down.