Students who enjoy late start and early release days may be disappointed by the number scheduled for the 2014-2015 school year.

Besides last month’s late start, only one more half-day is scheduled for this year- — an early release May 18.

Instead of additional late starts, students will receive full days off of school Dec. 5 and March 23. These days will be used for the staff development.

Principal Scott Meyers said these full days will help improve the teacher education programs that have taken place on half-days in the past.

“Part of the reasoning behind that day is taking some of those other two hour segments that we had and putting it into a day, so we could really focus on work and process through it with some reflection,” Meyers said.

Kari Ross, the district director of teaching and learning said teachers cover many topics on professional development days.

Teachers will learn how to utilize technology-based tools like Schoology. They will also have the opportunity to collaborate with teachers they don’t work with on a daily basis.

“We also have some experts come in to talk about literacy and how to help close the achievement gap,” Ross said.

Junior Lesly Hernandez said she thinks uninterrupted school days will be beneficial for students’ learning as well as teacher development.

“[Fewer half-days means] more school hours and they’re helping you learn,” Hernandez said.

Ross said the need to cancel half-days last year after having multiple snow days did not factor into the decision to reduce the number of half-days this year. The new calendar is not a precautionary measure for potential snow days this year.

“We had already made plans to change this year’s calendar before the snow days accumulated,” Ross said.

In addition to teacher development, the new calendar addresses family complaints.

Families with students in schools across the district whose arrangements for after- and before-school childcare were inconvenienced by the old schedule may find this new schedule easier to work with.