Plans for a four-day school week at Destin High in 2025-26 have been nixed by the commissioner of the Florida Department of Education.
However, they have reached a compromise of sorts. Destin High will go for four-and-a-half days, with an early release on Fridays.
“We still get to be innovative on Friday,” said Destin Principal Diane Kelley, which will allow the students to do internships, without missing academic time.
“I’m excited. It’s going to be good for our kids,” Kelley said.
The FDOE requires 900 hours of instructional time. After Destin High reworked their schedule, they will be doing 951 instructional hours and still have 132 hours-plus for internships.
Students will go from 8 a.m. to 3:05 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On the first and third Friday of the month, students will go from 8 a.m. until 11:55 a.m. to their first, second and third period classes. Buses will leave at noon and then students can take part in internships from noon until 2 p.m. On the second and fourth Fridays, students will attend their fourth, fifth and sixth period classes from 8 a.m. until 11:55 a.m., with 120 minutes of internship to follow.
The theme for the upcoming school year is “ElevAte,” Kelley said.
She explained, “the capital letter A will be meaningful in the realms of academics, the arts, athletics and achieving the school grade of an A.”
The early release times on Fridays will allow Destin High to “elevate” the educational experience for the students, she said.
Destin High Sharks will have the opportunity to:
“This innovative schedule honors our mission to think differently, support students holistically, and prepare them for life beyond high school,” Kelley said.
This article originally appeared on The Destin Log: Destin High to go four-and-a-half days in upcoming school year with early release on Friday
Reporting by Tina Harbuck, The Destin Log / The Destin Log
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