‘Let’s do it!’: Brevard County Schools, parents approve new year-long class-calendar

PORT ST. JOHN, Fla. — Soon enough, Brevard County parents can expect children to be part of a new pilot program that will include classes year-round.

The decision was approved last year and is expected to go into effect already in the 2024/2025 school year.

Starting in July, every month there will be classes – student days – at Challenger 7 Elementary.

“It’s a different way to think about education, and I think that scares people sometimes, but I think this one is really going to be big,” said Megan Wright, Brevard County school board member.

The decision to go year-round was made in 2023, when the state legislature unanimously approved the proposal; but this type of program is not something new for the community at Challenger 7.

“They were year-round most recently in Brevard County, so a lot of our teachers there can speak on how amazing the schedule will be for them,” said Wright. “We have a lot of families who were a part of that school system, so they understand how year-round works and they’re very excited to bring it back there.”

There will be classes every month throughout the year, but for the most part, students will be released early on Fridays, something parents seem to approve of.

“Yeah, let’s do it! I’m so excited,” said Hannah Brenan, the mother of a second grader. “I have a child who struggles with summer slide, so I have heard great things from teachers who have done it in the past. I think it will be super beneficial for children.”

For parents who prefer a regular school program, there will be options.

“We have a placement process we will be using for Challenger families who wish to remain on the traditional calendar,” said Tarra Harris, assistant superintendent of curriculum.

Parents will be able to opt out of the year-long format, or also sign-up for transportation to other nearby school with the regular school calendar.

Right now, this is just a pilot program to see how the school will handle and adapt to the change.

Over the course of the 4 years, the district will analyze the data – including student frequency, teacher and staff retention, test scores and grades – to evaluate the results.

So far, there are no plans to expand this across the county.