BSD finalizes last day of school, approves 2023-2024 calendar

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BROOKINGS – The Brookings School Board on Monday finalized the last day of school for the district this year, which will be a noon dismissal on May 23. 

The Brookings School District has missed three school days due to snow this year, which means administrators had the option to possibly move back the last day of school to “make up” those days. Superintendent Klint Willert recommended however that the last day of school remain on May 23.

“I don’t see in the future any snowstorms coming,” Willert said. “I know I might have jinxed us by saying that, but again I’m going to be the eternal optimist on this.”

Willert provided to the board the state minimum amount of minutes that students need to spend in school and the amount of minutes Brookings students will stay in school without making up snow days.

“Even without making up the three snow days for instructional time, we are far exceeding what is required by the state,” Willert said. “In no way does this diminish the educational opportunities that are being provided by our staff.”

Willert explained that staff would come in for three days for staff development. Those dates would be May 24-26 and would include training on the competency-based education model. On May 27, the staff’s school year will conclude with the Bobcat 5K.

“It’s a great event to culminate the end of the year,” Willert said. 

The board also approved the 2023-2024 school calendar. 

The first day of school for that  school year is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. New teacher in-service has been planned for Aug. 16, 2023, with staff development days beginning on the Aug. 17-18, 2023.

Non-holiday days off in the fall of 2023 include Friday, Oct. 6; Friday, Nov. 3; and Wednesday, Nov. 22. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for the evenings on Oct. 30 and Nov. 2. Conferences will run all day on Nov. 3.

Winter break in 2023 will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 20, and will run for 15 days, including weekends, with school resuming on Jan. 4, 2024.

Non-holiday days off in 2024 include March 28-29, and April 1 (spring break) and April 29.

The last day of school is scheduled for May 20, 2024, which will be a noon dismissal. The last day for teachers is May 21, 2024, and graduation will be on May  26, 2024.

Make-up days will be added to the end of school year if necessary. 

Contact Addison DeHaven at adehaven@brookingsregister.com.