The 2026-27 RUSD school calendar is now available and it looks a little different than previous years. Beginning next fall, schools will release one hour early most Wednesdays to provide our educators time each week to meet in professional learning communities to review student data, work and plan together. Research shows that this kind of teacher collaboration improves student achievement.
In preparation for this transition, please review the following important information:
School Start & End Times
These have been updated on the RUSD website. Adjustments were made to add 6 minutes to each school day to make up for the lost instructional time on early-release Wednesdays.
Busing
Bus schedules will be adjusted to align with early release Wednesdays. Students who ride the bus can continue to ride the bus home as normal on these days.
K–5 Extended Learning — Monday–Thursday
This option is for families who need regular after-school Extended Learning programming Monday through Thursday.
Students attend Extended Learning Monday through Thursday.
Early Release Wednesdays are included as part of this program.
Extended Learning has a set daily dismissal times.
Enrollment is limited at each school.
Once a site reaches capacity, additional students will be placed on a waiting list.
Students may continue to be enrolled throughout the school year as spaces become available.
K–5 Early Release Wednesdays ONLY
This option is for families who only need programming during the one-hour early release period on designated Early Release Wednesdays.
Programming begins when students are released one hour early.
Parents/guardians must pick up their child at the school's regular dismissal time.
This option does not provide care beyond the school's normal dismissal time.
There is no enrollment cap for Early Release Wednesdays.
Students will be supervised by Educational Assistants.
Activities may include open gym, art, board games, and homework help.
Important: Families who select Monday–Thursday Extended Learning do not need to register separately for Early Release Wednesdays. Early Release Wednesday programming is already included in the Monday–Thursday program.
Middle School After-School Activities
After-school activities will begin at the same time Monday-Thursday. On early release Wednesdays, students who participate in middle school sports or clubs/activities after school will have the opportunity to participate in a supervised study hall for one hour. This will be valuable time for students to catch up on homework and collaborate with their peers on project work.
If you have any other questions about after-school programming at your child’s school, please contact your school’s main office.