Revised Columbia Public Schools calendar expected to cost $95,000

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The revised district calendar for Columbia Public Schools is expected to cost the district $95,000, according to a Columbia Board of Education agenda for Monday’s meeting.

CPS sent a letter to parents last week detailing the new schedule that was approved during an Oct. 24 work session.

The changes to this year’s scheduled include:

• Feb. 7 is now an Early Release "D" Day for Elementary and “B” for Secondary
• Feb. 14 is now an Early Release "A" Day
• April 11 is now an Early Release "B" Day

The full calendar can be view on the district’s website.

“After the 2024-25 school year calendar was developed by the district’s calendar committee and approved by the Board of Education, the state legislature passed new legislation with optional provisions for school districts to receive additional funding,” the letter to parents says. “While the funding will not be allocated until 2025-2026, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education later determined that the current 2024-2025 school year calendar will be used to determine eligibility. The new legislation requires the district maintain a calendar that includes both 1044 hours and 169 days. The district already exceeded the 1044 hours previously required but needed to add additional days to the existing calendar to meet the new requirement.”

The letter states that the changes impact possible snow days.

“The district will now have Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) on inclement weather days. The district will use AMI for up to 36 hours. This will be utilized as 9 four-hour early release days. If all 36 hours of AMI are used, any additional time will need to be made up. This could result in the extension of the school year,” the letter says.

Monday’s meeting agenda says that changes to this year’s budget are required to in order to accurately reflect the new budgeted days. The agenda states that $75,000 will be covered by operating funds, while $20,000 will be covered by the Nutrition Services fund.,

Work calendars impacted the following positions, the agenda says:

• Classroom Aide
• Elementary Media Clerk
• Instructional Aide
• LPN
• Middle/Senior High Media Clerk
• Nutrition Services
• Paraprofessional
• Nurse
• Secretary 9
• Student Health Secretary