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 (PDF) 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.

Year-Round & Extended Year School Grants

In the 2022 Appropriation Act, the General Assembly authorized planning grants of up to $50,000 to assist school divisions in planning for the establishment of extended year or year-round school programs.

The 2022 General Assembly also authorized start-up grants to assist school divisions in implementing extended year or year-round school programs for the 2022-2023 school year. Each Start-up extended year or year-round school program may receive up to $300,000 per year, or up to $400,000 for 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.

• Superintendent's Memo 121-22 (PDF)
• Planning Grant – Application Instructions (Word)
• Planning Grant Application (Word)
• Start-Up Grant Application Instructions (Word)
• Start-Up Grant Application (Word)

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