Year-round pilot program approved for Brevard County elementary school

COCOA, Fla. — Hundreds of students at one Brevard County school are going to be attending class year-round.

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At its regular meeting Tuesday morning, the Brevard County School Board approved the pilot program for Challenger 7 Elementary School.

Under the new calendar, students will begin the school year on July 22nd and attend classes every month throughout the next year, with occasional early-release Fridays included to give the kids a break.

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“It’s a different way to think about education, and I think that scares people sometimes,” School Board Member From District 1 Megan Wright said of the program. “But I think this one is really going to be big.”

The decision to implement the program was approved unanimously by the state legislature last year, but it won’t be the first time Challenger 7 has tried year-long school.

“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,” Wright said. “You 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.”

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Challenger 7 parent Hannah Brenan says she’s excited about the change.

“I have a child who struggles with summer slide, so I have heard great things from teachers who have done it in the past,” Brenan said. “So I think it will be super beneficial for children who struggle with that.”

Parents who want their student to attend Challenger 7 under the new schedule don’t have to take any action. The annual re-enrollment process will take place at a later date.

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Parents who wish to opt out and attend another school on a traditional calendar must complete this survey by March 29th to help ensure their child’s placement elsewhere.

“We have a placement process we will be using for Challenger families who wish to remain on the traditional schedule,” Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Tarra Harris explained during Tuesday’s meeting. “That will be going out today to stakeholders.”

Right now, the year-round calendar is just a pilot program to see how the school will handle and adapt to the change. So far, there are no plans to expand it across the county.

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