How to Set Up Sessions with Variable Schedules

Overview

Schools and districts often have early-release or minimum-day schedules where sessions start or end at different times than usual. This article explains how to configure these variable schedules—including alternate start/end times on specific days and one-off meeting dates—within your session settings.

When configured, these special schedules are fully recognized by the early release and late arrival reasons feature.

Applies to

District, School, and Provider Dashboards

Before you begin

If you are creating a brand-new program and session, first see our article How do I list a new program or edit an existing one from my Provider Dashboard.
To modify an existing session, proceed with the instructions below. Modifications can be made from the district, school, or provider dashboards.

When to use variable schedules

Use variable schedules when:

A session meets at different times on different days of the week
A school has early-release or minimum days that affect a session’s schedule
A session needs one or more additional dates outside the regular weekly pattern
A holiday, testing schedule, or special event requires adjusting a meeting time

How to set different start/end times by day of the week

Go to your District, School, or Provider Dashboard.
Open Session Rosters and select the session you want to edit.
In the Schedule section, locate Special days & dates: Have special days of the week? and click Yes.

Select the day(s) of the week that have the same special schedule.
Enter the start time, end time, and room if they differ from the main schedule. Leave any field blank to use the main schedule setting.
- Click + Add another special days of week schedule to add additional special days.
Click Save.

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Notes:

A day cannot be part of more than one special schedule within the same session.
Filled time/room fields override the main schedule for the selected days. Blank fields use the main schedule—but at least one field is required.
When updating a session that already has students enrolled, you can choose to save changes with or without an email to parents to notify them of the change.

How to add a one-off meeting date outside the weekly schedule

Use this method for special events, makeup days, or extra instructional days.

Go to your District, School, or Provider Dashboard.
Open Session Rosters and select the session you want to edit.
In the Schedule section, locate Special days & dates: Have special or additional dates? and click Yes.
Select the date(s) the session will meet.
Enter the start and end time and room (if different). Leave fields blank to use the main schedule.
- Click + Add another special dates schedule to add additional special days.
Click Save.

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Notes:

A date cannot be part of more than one special schedule within the same session.
Filled time/room fields override both the special-days-of-week and main schedules. Blank fields default to the main schedule.
When updating a session that already has students enrolled, you can choose to save changes with or without an email to parents to notify them of the change.

Reviewing your full schedule

After saving:

Check the session details on the Session Rosters page.
Confirm that all days of the week reflect correct times.
Verify each exception or additional date appears with the correct duration.
Check that the total meeting count matches your expectations.

Common questions

What if the times repeat for several dates?

Both the special-date and special-days-of-the-week settings allow multiple day-of-week or date selections within each special schedule.

Can I remove an additional or exception date?
Yes. Click the trash icon next to the special schedule and save your changes.

Will parents see these variations?
Yes. Parents see all customized times and dates in the program’s public schedule.