Approved 2022-23 AISD Academic CalendarBoard Meeting Recap Video

ABILENE — The Abilene ISD Board of Trustees approved the 2022-23 Academic Calendar by a unanimous (7-0) vote Monday night during its regularly scheduled meeting at the One AISD Center.

The 2022-23 school year will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 17, with the final day of classes set for Thursday, May 25, 2023. Graduation ceremonies will be Friday, May 26 (Cooper), followed by ATEMS and Abilene High on Saturday, May 27. All three ceremonies will be at Shotwell Stadium.

The calendar contains the traditional week off for the Thanksgiving holiday (Nov. 21-25) and Spring Break (March 13-17, 2023), and it keeps the student four-day weekend (unofficial Fall Break) from Friday, Oct. 7-Monday, Oct. 10. Friday will be a Professional Development / Work Day for AISD staff, but Monday, Oct. 10, is Columbus Day and the district will be closed.

The biggest difference in the 2022-23 calendar from calendars of recent years is the Christmas break, which is shorter before Christmas, but longer after Dec. 25. The fall semester will end on Wednesday, Dec. 21, but with Christmas on Sunday next year, everyone will have more than two full weeks of vacation with school not set to begin for the spring semester until Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.

The entire district will have a four-day weekend in April with AISD closed on Good Friday (April 7) and Monday, April 10.

OTHER BOARD MEETING NEWS
• In addition to the approval of the 2022-23 calendar, the board also approved a recommendation by AISD administration to make two changes to the 2021-22 calendar. The board voted unanimously to make Friday, Feb. 18, and Friday, April 8 – the end of the fourth and fifth grading periods, respectively – early release days throughout the district.

• The board also voted unanimously to approve a Energy Savings Contract with Schneider Electric to upgrade, renovate, and/or replace outdated or low-efficiency energy equipment with current, high-efficiency energy equipment at various facilities districtwide. That project will begin immediately and will take approximately 18 months to complete. The cost benefit to the district is more than $6 million.

• The board also unanimously approved changes to the district’s health care coverage beginning with the 2022-23 school year. Part of that change is that the district will be pulling out of the TRS Active Care system at the end of the current coverage year (Aug. 31, 2022). This does not affect retirement benefits in the Teacher Retirement System for any current or former district employee; it only affects those with TRS Active Care health insurance. The district has already begun working on options and new plans to present to employees for enrollment next year

• The Board also entered into two public hearings that included presentations from Associate Superintendent for Student Services and Leadership, Dr. Gustavo Villanueva, and Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Joe Waldron. Dr. Villanueva presented the Board an update on the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan in order to maintain compliance with ESSER III funding. Dr. Waldron presented the Board the 2020-21 Financial Accountability Report. Neither hearing had any public comment associated with them.