16 WAPT'S SCOTT SIMMONS IS LOOKING CLOSER AT THAT STORY TONIGHT FROM CLINTON. < SCOTT SIMMONS/REPORTING: MORE SCHOOLS IN THE STATE HAVE BEEN SWITCHING TO A MODIFIED CALENDAR. CLINTON IS THE ONLY DISTRICT SO FAR IN THE METRO THAT HAS DONE IT BUT IF THE LT GOVERNOR HAS HIS WAY THAT WONT' BE THE CASE VERY LONG. < LT. GOVERNOR DELBERT HOSEMANN/(R) MS: AND CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AT 24 PERCENT IS UNACCEPTABLE... AS KIDS ARE STARTING THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR,. THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS PUSHING HARD FOR MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE TO CHANGE TO A MODIFIED SCHOOL CALENDAR...WITH AN EARLIER START DATE ...AND MORE BREAKS IN BETWEEN. < LT. GOVERNOR DELBERT HOSEMANN/(R) MS: IF THEIR SEAT IS NOT IN THE SEAT...HOW ARE THEY GOING TO LEARN ANYTHING?? SO I THINK YOU WILL HAVE A RELOOK AT MODIFIED CALENDAR TO KEEP OUR KIDS IN THE ROTATION OF GOING TO SCHOOL CLINTON IS NOW IN THE MIDST OF YEAR TWO OF ITS MODIFIED CALENDAR. IT'S ALREADY A COUPLE OF WEEKS INTO IT'S YEAR. < MATT FULTON/SUMNER JR. HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: WE START A LITTLE EARLY BUT THERE ARE MORE BREAKS BUILT IN.. SUMNER JUNIOR HIGH PRINCIPAL MATT FULTON SAYS THE FEEDBACK, SO FAR FROM TEACHERS AND PARENTS, HAS BEEN GOOD. THOSE TWO WEEK BREAKS ALSO ALLOW TIME FOR TUTORING AND CATCH UP IF NEEDED. THEY CALL THEM "ARROW SESSIONS". < MATT FULTON/SUMNER JR. HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: BUT I THINK YOU WIL FIND SOME DISTRICTS ARE HESITANT TO DO IT UNTIL THEY ARE ABLE TO SEE SOME DATA. AND HOPEFULLY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW SOME GOOD DATA HERE IN CLINTON. SOME 30 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE NOW HAVE ADOPTED THE MODIFIED CALENDAR.. < RAY MORGIGNO/FORMER STATE SUPT. OF EDUCATION: IT HAS BEEN AROUND NATIONALLY FOR A LONG TIME BUT I THINK HERE IN OUR STATE THE JURY IS STILL OUT AS FAR AS THE IMPACT OF IT. FORMER SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE SUPERINDENT OF EDUCATION RAY MORGIGNO SAYS THE DEBATE OVER MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE DOING IT...HAS BEEN IN-DEPTH BUT THE RELUCTANCE, HE SAYS, IS IN PART BASED ON A LACK OF IN- STATE DATA ...AND THE FACT THAT EACH COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT. < RAY MORGIGNO/FORMER STATE SUPT. OF EDUCATION: FOR INSTANCE YOU TAKE A NESHOBA COUNTY THAT HAS THE NESHOBA COUNTY FAIR GOING IN THIS WEEK WELL THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WANT TO START SCHOOL UNTIL THE NESHOBA COUNTY FAIR IS COMPLETE < SCOTT SIMMONS/REPORTING: THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTS IN JANUARY BUT SO FAR LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN LEARY ABOUT FORCING DISTRICTS TO MOVE TO A MODIFIED OR EVEN YEAR AROUND SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW THAT DECISION IS LEFT
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Hosemann wants more school districts to switch to longer, modified school calendar
Clinton only metro school district that’s made the change
Weekend Anchor/Reporter
The school year starts for a majority of districts in Mississippi on Thursday, but some have already gotten underway, tackling a modified school calendar that some say should be across the state. Clinton Public Schools is the only district so far in the metro that has done it, but if Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has his way, that won’t be the case for very long.“Chronic absenteeism at 24% is unacceptable,” Hosemann said.As kids start the new school year, Hosemann is pushing hard for more school districts across the state to change to a longer, modified school calendar with an earlier start date and more breaks in between.“If their seat is not in the seat, how are they going to learn anything? So, I think you will have a relook at modified calendar to keep our kids in the rotation of going to school,” Hosemann said.Clinton is in the midst of year two of its modified calendar. It’s already a couple weeks into the new school year.“We start a little early, but there are more breaks built in,” said Sumner Junior High School Principal Matt Fulton.Fulton said the feedback so far from teachers and parents has been good. Those two-week breaks, called "Arrow Sessions," also allow time for tutoring and catch-up, if needed. “I think you will find some districts are hesitant to do it until they are able to see some data, and hopefully, we will be able to show some good data here in Clinton,” Fulton said.Some 30 districts in the state have now adopted a modified calendar. “It has been around nationally for a long time, but I think here in our state, the jury is still out, as far as the impact of it,” said Ray Morgigno, former Mississippi superintendent of education.Morgigno said the debate over more school districts in the state doing it has been in-depth, but the reluctance, he said is in part based on a lack of in-state data and the fact that each community is different.“For instance, you take a Neshoba County that has the Neshoba County Fair going in this week, well, they are probably not going to want to start school until the Neshoba County Fair is complete,” Morgigno said.The legislative session starts in January, but so far, lawmakers have been leery about forcing districts to move to a modified, or even year-round schedule. Right now, that decision is left up to each individual school district.
CLINTON, Miss. —
The school year starts for a majority of districts in Mississippi on Thursday, but some have already gotten underway, tackling a modified school calendar that some say should be across the state.
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Clinton Public Schools is the only district so far in the metro that has done it, but if Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has his way, that won’t be the case for very long.
“Chronic absenteeism at 24% is unacceptable,” Hosemann said.
As kids start the new school year, Hosemann is pushing hard for more school districts across the state to change to a longer, modified school calendar with an earlier start date and more breaks in between.
School absentee rate in Mississippi is 24%, something lieutenant governor wants to address
“If their seat is not in the seat, how are they going to learn anything? So, I think you will have a relook at modified calendar to keep our kids in the rotation of going to school,” Hosemann said.
Clinton is in the midst of year two of its modified calendar. It’s already a couple weeks into the new school year.
“We start a little early, but there are more breaks built in,” said Sumner Junior High School Principal Matt Fulton.
Fulton said the feedback so far from teachers and parents has been good. Those two-week breaks, called "Arrow Sessions," also allow time for tutoring and catch-up, if needed.
JPS gearing up for a new year with fewer schools
“I think you will find some districts are hesitant to do it until they are able to see some data, and hopefully, we will be able to show some good data here in Clinton,” Fulton said.
Some 30 districts in the state have now adopted a modified calendar.
“It has been around nationally for a long time, but I think here in our state, the jury is still out, as far as the impact of it,” said Ray Morgigno, former Mississippi superintendent of education.
Morgigno said the debate over more school districts in the state doing it has been in-depth, but the reluctance, he said is in part based on a lack of in-state data and the fact that each community is different.
Back-to-school guide for Mississippi students
“For instance, you take a Neshoba County that has the Neshoba County Fair going in this week, well, they are probably not going to want to start school until the Neshoba County Fair is complete,” Morgigno said.
The legislative session starts in January, but so far, lawmakers have been leery about forcing districts to move to a modified, or even year-round schedule. Right now, that decision is left up to each individual school district.
