DISD school board tackled Monday’s agenda in short order approving next year’s school calendar and a slew of employee contracts.
The board chose between two calendars after feedback from district employees.
Superintendent Melissa Summers said throughout the district those who responded about the proposed calendars overwhelmingly preferred the one with a later start date and less staff development days throughout the year.
School will start on Tuesday, Aug. 12 with new teacher orientation Friday, Aug. 1 and Monday, Aug. 4 with staff development Aug. 5-8 and Aug. 11.
The calendar will remain a hybrid example with some Mondays off built in. Mondays off include: Sept. 1 and Sept. 22, Oct. 13 and Oct. 27, Feb. 2 and Feb. 16 (bad weather day), and April 6 (bad weather day), and May 25. April 3 is also a holiday.
Thanksgiving break will be from Monday, Nov. 24through Friday, Nov. 28. Winter break will be Dec. 22 – Jan. 12, 2026. School will start back Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 after winter break for students.
Spring break will be from March 16-20, 2026.
Graduation will be Friday, May 22, 2026.
School times will run from 7:45 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. for elementary and intermediate and from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for secondary.
Also in regular business the board made an amendment to its District of Innovation plan which would allow the district the ability to revoke a transfer student agreement at any time. Currently, the district must wait until the end of the year.
Summers explained the change being made would be helpful in the event that a transfer student had disciplinary problems midway through the year.
The board canceled its May 3 election after the school board race was uncontested.
“It really shows the faith that the community has in us and that we are doing well,” Summers said about the school board. “We are very, very blessed.”
Board President Bob Cervetto pointed out that canceling an election does save the district money since on average an election costs $6,000 $ 8,000.
The district passed its recent intruder detection audit with flying colors at the high school and another audit of either the elementary or intermediate is expected sometime this spring.
After closed session, the board unanimously voted to extend the following contracts for teachers: Leslee Chapman, Jessica Criswell, Jodi Gilbert, Mary Haggard, Brianna Hatcher, Julie Ivie, Donna Lewis, Twila Mann, Stephanie Mendez, Cassidy Miller, Veronica Pantoja, Celeste Riney, Charlotte Robertson, Jeri Li Thompson, Crystal White-Pena, Angela Balvantin, Ida Beam, Delayne Bradshaw, Clara Dower, Riley Dunlap, Kimberly Hare, Nancy Johnson, Karina Kunkel, Tommie Shubert, Rhonda Stephen, Aletheia Thornton, Christine Watson, Melanie Zinck, Elena Azua, Marcella Bledsoe, Susan Boucher, Shawn Bradford, Steve Carroll, Susan Diciccio, Derek Dunlap, Wesley Grisham, Sophie Hayhurst, George Ann Landreth, Lisa Leatherwood, Rosalinda Martinez, Dara Murphy, Rebekah Pack, Jaclyn Perry, Darren Price, Kristal Stovall, Ryan Thornton, Kaylene Vanbebber, Maria Velazquez, John Ward, Lisa Weaver, Christy Welch, Katrina Brister, Emily Akard, Shelby Smith and Krista Todd.
Those with probationary contracts include Evalynn Emerson, Lydia Pustejovsky, Timothy Goff, Lauren Greenway, William Joseph Dunlap, Skye Gaitan, Lauryn Risinger, Aimee Spharler and Nicole Williams.
Other contracts include Courtney Amidon, Kyleigh Bamber, Linda Carrillo, Christina Kennedy, Vanessa Longoria, Vanessa Mejia, Maricarmen Pantoja, Shelby Rhyne Skinner, Ashtyn Welch, Morgan Adams, Lynzee Bennett, Brenda Juarez, Barbarita Ortega, Rhonda Price, Jessica Shelton, Jamel Anderson, Griffin Fauntleroy, Alexis Galbreath, Hayden Hoerdemann, Jack Ishmael, Ian Newton, Andrew Norwood, Regina Rasberry, Lauren Salinas and Arturo Zuniga.
The board will continue over the next several months to renew and approve contracts for the upcoming school year.