Pasco County Schools adds mini-breaks to the school year to curb student absenteeism [Video]

LAND O’LAKES, Fla. – In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, Pasco County School board members approved the addition of three four-day weekends, or ‘mini-breaks’ to the 2024-25 student calendar.

The breaks will be in October, February, and April. The move comes as part of an ongoing effort to improve attendance district-wide, with officials planning to encourage family trips and vacations when classes are not scheduled instead of missing instructional time.

“We are hoping that by placing those four-day weekends strategically, we can encourage our students and families to take their trips or vacations on those long weekends instead of taking off instructional days,” explained Assistant Superintendent Kevin Shibley, who oversees the calendar. “And so, we’re going to try and market that to our families this year. And here are some mini-breaks throughout the year, so that if you want to take some time off, let’s do it then and not miss school during scheduled school.”

Reports show absence rates across …