Year Round & Extended Year Schools
In schools following year-round schedules, instructional days are distributed across 10, 11, or 12 months rather than the traditional nine-month calendar. Summer break may be shorter, while other breaks, known as intercessions, may be added during typical times of transition such as the end of the semester. Intercessions may include opportunities for remediation or enrichment. Extended year calendars add instructional days to the mandated annual requirement and may include other features of a year-round calendar.
A 2012 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study of year-round schools concluded that:
- While, overall, SOL scores at year-round schools were similar to scores in traditional calendar schools, SOL scores of certain student subgroups were more likely to improve at a faster rate at year-round schools.
- Year-round calendars increased annual school expenditures, on average, by about three percent.
- School divisions with high percentages of student groups that appear to benefit from year-round schools may want to consider implementing year-round calendars.
Targeted Extended/Enriched School Year & Year-Round School Grants
The 2023 Appropriation Act, pending final signature by Governor Youngkin, includes funding in Fiscal Year 2024 for planning and start-up grants to school divisions interested in establishing or implementing extended year or year-round school programs to improve student achievement.
An overview of the Virginia Department of Education's current selection and distribution of Targeted Extended/Enriched School Year & Year-Round School grants is briefly explained in this ESY-YRS Overview Document.
Planning Grant funds: School divisions may apply for grants of no more than $50,000 each for the division or individual schools to pursue the creation of new extended year or year-round school programs. Priority will be given to schools based on need, relative to the state accreditation ratings or similar federal designations. Applications must include evidence of commitment to pursue implementation in the subsequent 2024-2025 school year.
Start-up Grant funds: Annual start-up grants of up to $300,000 per extended school year or year-round school may be awarded for a period of up to two years after the initial implementation year to implement new extended year or year-round school programs in either the 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 school year. In addition, funds awarded may be spent over two years. The per school amount may be up to $400,000 in the case of schools that have an Accredited with Conditions status and are rated at Level Three in two or more Academic Achievement for All Students school quality indicators, or schools that had an Accredited with Conditions status and were rated at Level Three in two or more Academic Achievement for All Students school quality indicators when the initial application was made. Schools that qualified for the per school grant up to $400,000 under the previous Standards of Accreditation Denied Accreditation status remain eligible for funding for the initial three-year period; after that period, such schools are subject to eligibility under the current Standards of Accreditation.
To be considered for selection for either a planning grant or a start-up grant, applicants must submit a complete response addressing all application requirements. Past recipients of start-up grant funds must reapply for additional start-up grant funds each fiscal year.
For More Information
The Virginia Department of Education is accepting round two of applications for FY 2025 until January 17, 2025. Please contact Lisa Drzymala (lisa.drzymala@doe.virginia.gov) or Martha Powers (martha.powers@doe.virginia.gov) with any questions.
Example of a Start-Up Year 4 Shared Split Based upon a Division's Local Composite Index (LCI):
- Division's determined total program cost: $100,000
- Division's LCI: .34
- Division's share of program cost: $100,000 * .34 = $34,000
- Requested grant amount from VDOE: $100,000 * .66 = $66,000
*NOTE: If the division is not able to provide sufficient funding to cover its share of the program cost based upon the LCI as illustrated above, the total program cost would need to be adjusted accordingly. See the example below.
- Division's available funding: $20,000
- Division's adjusted total program cost: $58,823 (adjusted from $100,000)
- Division's LCI: .34
- Division's share of program cost: $58,823 * .34 = $19,999.82
- Requested grant amount from VDOE: $58,823 * .66 = $38,823.18