2023-2024 Academic Calendar Approved

The Waco ISD board of trustees approved the 2023-2024 instructional calendar at a special meeting held on Thursday, January 26. The approved calendar was developed and selected through an extensive process that engaged staff, parents and community members. The calendar supports instructional goals, providing time for teacher planning.

“We received positive feedback from our teachers regarding the protected planning days embedded in this year’s calendar.” said Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon. “This calendar strikes a balance between meeting instructional goals for students and the support that teachers need to balance the workload of planning and grading.”

The district is thankful to parents and the community for how they have engaged in the process of developing this instructional calendar and appreciate their support of our teachers. 

There were initially three calendar options presented to the community for public input. The proposed calendars were developed and reviewed by district administrators and the 56-member Quality District Advisory Committee (QDAC). The QDAC includes parents, business representatives and community members. 

Overall, community input increased by 37% this year, which included community and staff responses in English and Spanish.  

Of the three options, calendar two had the most votes and was presented to the board for approval by Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Deena Cornblum.

The 2023-2024 school year will begin on Monday, August 14. The approved calendar has less early release days for students than the current calendar. There are a total of three -  one just before the winter break and two at the end of the school year. Thanksgiving break is Nov. 20-24, winter break is Dec. 22-Jan. 5 and spring break is March 4-8, 2024.

School days for the 2023-2024 year will end at 3:30 p.m. for elementary schools and 4:15 for secondary schools. Click here to see the approved calendar.

“Clean” 2021-2022 Audit Report Received

Trustees also received the results on the district’s independent audit report for the 2021-2022 school year. The report included an unmodified opinion, which indicates that the auditor had no reservations about the district’s financial statements. The audit also found no material weaknesses, no significant deficiencies, and no noncompliance issues, and no costs were questioned.

“After a thorough, independent review of our books by an outside auditor, Waco ISD has again received a

clean audit report. That’s a big deal, and it demonstrates our commitment to being good stewards of the public’s resources,” Kincannon said. “I want to congratulate Sheryl Davis and her team for the incredible work that goes into earning this clean report.”

Trustees Iazzetti and Grant also expressed their appreciation to the district’s finance department for their outstanding work, recognizing that this clean audit was earned in a year that included the issuance of bonds, complexities of administering COVID-19 relief programs and lower revenue from the state.