Jan. 6 is now an official school day

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho Public Schools announced in early December that the final day of winter break, Jan. 6, aka Jump Start Day, will no longer be recognized as an instructional day by the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED).

The announcement went on to say that Monday, Jan. 6, will now be a “50/50 synchronous/asynchronous instructional day for middle and high school students.”

So, what does that mean? Do we have school or not?

Yes. School is happening on Monday.

But if your child cannot attend due to previous plans, the absence won’t count against the attendance records at the RRPS level, only at the state level. According to the district, attendance for the Jan. 6 will be taken in the form of an assignment that will be due day-of.

That means, feel free to go to your dentist appointments and little sisters’ recitals. Absence will not count against you.

The last-minute scheduling change is the result of alterations made by the PED at the state level. Despite approval of the RRPS instructional calendar previous to the start of the school year, the state is requiring a mid-year change.

For more information, visit rrps.net.