School calendars, committee work and FAQs

2020-21 school year

• 2020-21 school calendar (updated March 2021) 
  •  Monday, April 19, is a teacher work day. On this day: 
    • Elementary students will not go to school
    • Middle and high schoolers will participate in asynchronous online learning days
    • Teachers can use this time to prepare classrooms, lessons and more

• Calendario para alumnos de kÍnder a 12. grado 2020-21

• Arabic - 2020-21 school calendar

• 2020-21 early childhood calendar

• Español early childhood calendar

• 2020-21 Bell Schedule 

Religious and multi-cultural calendars

• Religious holiday dates - 2018-2021
• Multi-cultural calendar of observances  (Baha’i, Jewish and Islamic holidays begin at sundown the previous day and end at sundown on the date listed.)  

 

Future calendars

• 2021-22 school calendar (approved by the Board of Education in April 2020)

Draft calendars

Please note that the following calendars are drafts that are subject to change. Please do not make plans based on these draft calendars.

• 2022-23 draft calendar
• 2023-24 draft calendar
• 2024-25 draft calendar
• 2025-26 draft calendar

 

Past 2018-19 calendars

• 2019-20 school calendar
• Calendario para alumnos de kÍnder a 12. grado 2019-20
• 2019-20 student calendar - Arabic
• 2019-20 school bell schedules
• 2018-19 student calendar 
• Calendario para alumnos de kÍnder a 12. grado 2018-19
• 2018-19 student calendar - Arabic
• 2018-19 early childhood calendar
• 2018-19 early childhood calendar Español
• 2018-19 school start and end times (bell schedule)

 

PSD Calendar Committee

The PSD Calendar Committee includes representatives from school levels, teachers, classified staff and parents. 

Elements included in the 2020-21 school calendar

Listed below are elements the committee had to incorporate into the calendar, as well as overall guidelines the committee follows when creating a school calendar.  
 

Calendar Guidelines

The PSD Calendar Committee follows these guiding principles when creating the calendar: Start as late in the summer as possible to avoid heat Ending 1st semester before winter break, allowing for final exams before the break Maximize class time before state-mandated testing (March/April) and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate testing (April/May) Adhere to Colorado State Statutes for meeting required class time Attempt to sensitively schedule school breaks Align Spring Break with Colorado State University Logical holiday breaks for families Common Sense Clause – sometimes the simplest solution is the best

For elementary schools:

• 175 elementary student contact days
• 360 hours of student class time in the first semester (determines full-time student funding for PSD)
• 990 hours of student class time during the school year
• Three conference/exchange days (two in the fall, one in the spring - no students at school) 

For secondary schools:

• 176 secondary student contact days
• 360 hours of student class time in the first semester (determines full-time student funding for PSD)
• 1080 hours of student class time during the school year
• Two conference/exchange days (one in the fall, one in the spring - no students at school)
• One transition day for sixth- and ninth-grade students only

For all schools:

• Six building work days (no students at school) designed for staff professional development, work on planning and implementation of building and district goals, on-site teacher work time
• Two teacher work days (no students at school) to assist in grading and reporting, class preparation, other tasks (usually the first Monday in January and the third Monday in May)

 

Frequently Asked Questions If you have additional questions, please contact Brett Larsen, calendar committee co-chair, at 970-472-3710 or  at blarsen@psdschools.org.

*  What is the timeline for board adoption of the calendar?
Beginning in the spring of 2021, the PSD Board of Education will adopt calendars 15 months in advance of implementation.

* Why are so many calendars posted at one time?
The PSD Board of Education only approves calendars 12-15 months in advance of their implementation. The other posted calendars are drafts available for public feedback and comment (see contacts listed below). Three draft calendars are usually available.

* Why do we meet two days of Thanksgiving week instead of taking the whole week off?
Having school two days during Thanksgiving week allows us to maximize the number of attendance days, helping us to achieve the required 360 hours of class time in the first semester. Another consideration is to start school earlier in August. The committee always discusses this possibility and adjusts when necessary.

* Why does the first semester end before winter break? If the first semester went into January, more days would be included in first semester.
One of the values we have for high school students is that it is better to complete course work and final exams before leaving for a two-week winter break. Until the committee sees a need to change this practice, first semester will be scheduled to end before winter break.