Cedar Rapids Schools to dismiss early on Fridays next school year

CEDAR RAPIDS - All students in the Cedar Rapids district can go home earlier on Fridays next school year.

The school board Monday approved early Friday dismissals for next year's academic calendar.

Teachers will use the block of time to prepare curriculum and discuss strategies for the coming week. Specific times for each school will be determined at a later date.

An earlier proposed calendar considered scheduling a late start each Monday. But after heated public comments at a board meeting last month, the board postponed its decision until there was further discussion about the parents' concerns on supervision and busing children.

Surveys were sent to thousands of parents and others across the district, and the results showed strong support for early dismissals Friday afternoons as opposed to late starts Monday mornings.

Board members insisted that after the next academic year is complete, a proper assessment of the benefits the early Friday dismissal had on academic success for students and teachers will be evaluated.

'The calendar really improved from what they were suggesting a month ago. I am anxious to see how it does end up affecting everybody, and I really hope they take that into account before doing the calendar for the next year,” Kerry Talyat a parent from Cedar Rapids said. 'Thankfully, my work is flexible. Having to do it every week is going to be a challenge some days. Some days it will be OK. It just comes down to when I can get my daughter.”