Our school district does conferences twice per year. In elementary school they were at schedule times. During middle and high school, they were open. The teachers sat at tables in the gym and you could talk to one or more of them. Conferences ran from 4pm-8pm one day and 11-8 the next (no school that day). We always go. I try to time it and go when I think it will be quieter so we don’t have to wait much. Kids went with us most of the time but they did not have to.