Portales board to consider calendar

PORTALES — The Portales school board will consider a new 2021-22 academic calendar in a Monday special meeting that continues its current four-day school week.

The 6 p.m. meeting at the Portales Junior High cafeteria has the calendar as its only agenda item.

School would begin in August — Aug. 12 for grades 7-12, Aug. 17 for grades 3-6 and Aug. 24 for pre-K through second grade — with May 26 the final day of instruction.

With Mondays off, the remaining four weekdays would go from 8 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. to fulfill time requirements from the state.

Superintendent Johnnie Cain, in a letter sent to parents last week, said the district would provide intervention on Mondays where needed and that the four-day model would allow for a quick transition to a hybrid model if COVID-19 worsens.

Citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting or send comments to [email protected]. Comments received by 10 a.m. Monday will be considered by the board, Cain said.